


Fairy tales can come true

by asamandra



Category: Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Clint's soul is dying, Dubious Consent, F/M, M/M, Soul Bond, avengerkink, no graphic non-/dub-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-05 22:28:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1834432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asamandra/pseuds/asamandra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint's soul is bonded with someone who does not love him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [Clint/OC Clint/AnyAvenger Clint's soul is bonded with someone who does not love him [Abuse/noncon]](http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/19023.html?thread=45421903#t45421903)
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> In a world where people form bonds for life, Clint ends up bonded to a person who cannot love. Clint thinks he deserves the love he gets because they're souls were meant to be together. But, Any finds him and Clint's soul (which had been dying) starts to live/glow again. In order to be together, however, Clint must break his original bond, which is virtually unheard of. Not to mention OC doesn't want to let Clint go.

“... and then they all lived happily ever after.” That's how so many fairy tales conclude with. And of course his mother – may she rest in peace – had read them to him when he was a little boy. He knew all the stories of the princesses and princes, getting each other, weaving their soul bonds and then everything is fine in the end. Clint was pretty sure that all children knew those stories by heart. 

Small children learn very early that people are meant to find their soul mate and then they can weave the bond and stay together till they die. And all small children dream about finding their soul mate. 

Clint had never been a romantic, not even a closeted one, will you shut up eventually? But even he had dreamed to find his soul mate, the person he was supposed to love till the day he died. He had asked his mother how it feels to meet ones soul mate and she had said he would know when he meet the right one. Later, when his parents were dead and he was in the orphanage with his brother he had asked the nuns but they had only looked at him with strange glances. Barney had laughed at him and told him only people who don't have a soul mate are going to become nuns or monks. Clint was confused. He had thought all people would have a soul mate. How could it be possible that there are people who never had one? And was he supposed to become a monk if he wouldn't find his? 

Later, when he was in the circus, he had met a few girls and boys and he was sure that they were supposed to be his soul mates but in the end, he had been just horny and Barney had laughed even more. But Clint was sure that even someone like him deserved his share of happiness and he never gave up the search. It took years in the dirt, living on the streets, on the run from SHIELD and other organizations till he met Bobbi Morse. 

He became a SHIELD agent after getting arrested by Phil Coulson and one of his first missions was together with Bobbi. She was nice, smiled at him a lot, laughed with him, flirted, and when the mission was over she asked him if he wanted to go on a date with him. He really liked her and at this point of his life he never expected that she only feigned to like him as well. Yes, he had seen all kinds of human abysses but that someone would pretend to feel the tug of a soul bond, that was something even Clint had never imagined. A soul bond was something sacred in his opinion, given that people weave only one in their lives. It's not that it wasn't possible to break a soul bond, because it was, it's not even difficult in fact, but it was sort of taboo. That was something that's just simply not done. 

He dated Bobbi over the time of a few months and he became more than attracted to her and well, the sex was fantastic, sue him. When she finally told him one day in a nice restaurant that she knew that they were meant to be together, that they were soul mates and that she had felt the tug from the first moment they had touched, Clint was slightly confused. He had read some stories – yeah, yeah, closeted romantic my ass – and he had always assumed that he was supposed to feel the tug himself but he didn't feel it, it wasn't there. But maybe it was just him and so, when she had asked him to be her soul mate, he had finally (reluctantly?) agreed.

In all the novels he had read it's said that a soul bond fills both partners with utmost joy and happiness, love and bliss. But what he felt when he was with Bobbi was just a poor imitation. Only, he didn't know it at this time and he thought that the authors of those stories just overexaggerated. 

He can't remember why he had agreed to weave a bond because he knew exactly that he wasn't convinced then. But for inexplicable reasons he had done it. 

It was a nice ceremony. Nothing spectacular, just her, him, Coulson and Director Fury. He had no idea why she wanted to have Fury at their bonding ceremony at this time, that was something he discovered later. But when the soul bond registrar crossed their hands and tied them together with the ceremonial cord Fury seemed very pleased. Bobbi looked at him with awe the moment the knot was closed and she said something that she loved how his soul felt tied together with hers. Clint couldn't understand what she meant because he felt nothing at all, just the raw cord around his wrists. But at this point in his life he thought it was because of him, because he was too damaged to feel what she felt and so he copied her expressions. 

They moved together into a small apartment not far away from base but since they were bonded they weren't allowed to do missions together. SHIELD didn't have problems when their agents date or bond but then they have to be on different teams or they could be compromised. But since they lived together he saw Bobbi less and less often and when she was there she had changed. Slowly at first but in retrospective Clint knew that this wasn't the woman he had bonded with. She became cold and dismissive, they didn't have sex anymore and when they had it was rough and painful. Sex was something he started to dread. She pulled his hair, scratched his chest and back, squeezed his nipples and balls and Clint was grateful when he came _home_ and she wasn't there. 

On their first anniversary – usually a reason for a party or at least a nice dinner together – Clint sat in a cell somewhere in Dagestan and some terrorists tortured him. But when SHIELD rescued him a week later and brought him back Bobbi wasn't there in the infirmary. She was on a mission herself and Coulson told him, that she left the day she got the message that he was alive and they would bring him back. Clint closed his eyes. Maybe he deserved this. He had been a bad person, had killed people for money, maybe this was karma's way to get revenge. 

On their second anniversary Bobbi came back from a mission, dirty, injured and really, really pissed off and Clint, who had spent the whole afternoon to prepare some dinner – yeah, he tried to make it better between them, they were soul mates for fuck's sake – she just stared at him for a very long moment before she lunged out and Clint staggered backwards, only held upright by the counter behind him. She had hit his eye and he was unable to process what just happened when she called him a waste of space and went to the shower. That was, when he learned why Fury was at their bonding ceremony. He wanted to make sure that he went through with it, that it actually was his idea to fake the soul tug to keep him tied to SHIELD. 

Clint disappeared for three months and only Coulson managed to chase him down and persuaded him to come back. He applied for a living quarter at base but Fury denied it. He said he has a soul mate and it was only appropriate to live with her. Clint moved into the small study, slept on the couch from that moment on. But he felt something dying in him, slowly wilting away and he knew, he knew that it was his hurt soul, tied to a woman who wasn't able to love him, to love generally. And once more he wondered how a real bond would feel. 

He started to hate his life, became more and more reckless on missions and violent against enemies but he never, never laid hand on his wife, not even when she had one of her temper tantrums and hit him with whatever she had in her hand. They yelled a lot but when it became too much he grabbed his bow and went to the range, shot till his arms felt as if they would snap out of their sockets. Lucas, the overseer at the range became sort of his father confessor and sometimes they went to a bar together but not very often since he knew that Bobbi got mad when he drank. 

When he brought in Natasha, the Black Widow, Bobbi was so angry, she threw a pot with nearly boiling water in his direction and only his fast reflexes prevented that he got scalded. She screamed and yelled so loud that the neighbors called the cops and an angry Coulson had to bail them out of custody. Bobbi had thrown another pot at one of the cops and they had arrested both of them. 

Fury finally gave in and Clint could move back to base where all of his colleagues, who knew that he was bonded to Bobbi, threw pitying glances in his direction whenever they thought he wouldn't see it. He was Hawkeye for Chrissake, of course he saw it. Rumor spread that Clint was the one who had hurt Bobbi and since they got both arrested she had thrown him out of their apartment. He didn't bother to correct their assumptions. 

Natasha became his best friend and now that he didn't have to consider Bobbi's feelings he could go to bars with her as often as he wanted. But when he saw his bond mate one day flirting with another agent, smiling at him and touching him lightly the remains of his hurt soul cringed in him. This afternoon he went to a bar and got smashed and only Coulson and Natasha together could drag him back to his bunk. 

Natasha was there the next day, sitting on a chair and waiting for him to wake up with a glass of water and a handful of painkillers and she told him that she had never seen a person with a soul as crippled as his, herself included. Clint could only laugh sardonically. 

He asked Bobbi to break their bond and she backhanded him in the main hall of the Triskelion in front of lots of other agents. When he touched his lip he saw blood and he stepped back to not give in to the temptation and hit back. She yelled at him, called him names and told him that no one breaks a soul bond and that he's just a selfish bastard. His colleagues threw strange glances in his direction from that day on. No one breaks a soul bond, that's just simply not done. 

Clint applied for a relocation and at first they send him to New York and after lots of missions only with Coulson and Natasha – one of them brought him to New Mexico where a strange guy tried to fetch a hammer that fell out of the sky – they sent him to a research facility in the middle of nowhere: Project Pegasus. He had no idea where Bobbi was, he didn't care if he was honest. 

He loved this job with the scientists. It was relaxing in a way and he even had a few flings with some unbonded agents. He even started to believe that his soul could maybe be salvageable when everything went to hell again. A guy who called himself Loki of Asgard appeared, took him, forced him to shoot at Fury, forced him to lead an attack against SHIELD, against his colleagues and the few friends he had there, forced him to kill people he cared for. Loki was in his head and he told him he seldom had seen a man with such pathetic remains of a soul and that this was the reason why he could take him so easily. Clint couldn't disagree. He knew that his soul was crippled, dying. 

This time it was Natasha who brought him back. She smashed his head into a railing on the helicarrier and hit him afterwards and this time was the first time that he was thankful for being hit. He was his own again, Loki's voice was gone, his laughter was gone, his hate and vindictiveness were gone. Together with Iron Man, Captain America, Thor – the guy with the hammer he realized – Dr. Banner and Natasha he went into the battle against Loki and against all odds they won. 

But then, when they all assembled beside the pieces of the quinjet he had flown after the battle, he had time to take a closer look at his new team-mates and it was the first time that he really saw _him_.


	2. Chapter 2

“Agent...” Stark cocked his head when he saw Natasha and Clint walk over to the rest of the team. He knew Natasha, of course he knew her. She's been his assistant not long ago. 

“Barton. Clint Barton,” Clint answered and the older man raised a brow and then smirked.

“Okay, Agent Barton, Clint Barton, I've already told the others that we're going to eat Shawarma. There's a Shawarma joint not far away and after all this stress we deserve that.” He gestured around and at the dead aliens and Clint saw Captain America roll his eyes.

“Fine by me,” Clint shrugged and wanted to pass Stark when he patted his shoulder in a friendly way and brushed his arm, skin touching skin. It was as if time stopped, as if he got hit by one of Thor's lightnings, the electricity dancing over his body, as if butterflies surrounded him, fluttering and tickling him and everything he looked at, especially Tony, sparkled and smelled like the lilac tree his parents had in their backyard when he was a little boy. Just for a second, till Tony removed his hand and stared at it disbelievingly. 

“Wow! That was...” Tony trailed off and looked at Clint, then at his hand. Clint felt his mouth go dry and he licked his lips and swallowed. 

“Did you feel that?” he asked quietly and saw the other man's lips turn into a smile. 

“Intense. That was the word I was looking for.” 

“Hey, you two. You coming? Thor's hungry,” Natasha turned back and saw the two men look at each other as if they had seen a ghost.

“Yeah, we're coming,” Clint said and looked at her for a second. 

“I guess we need to talk.” Tony pursed his lips but didn't move an inch.

“Barton!” Natasha called him again and this time he nodded, turned and followed her but he could feel, actually feel the other man's eyes on him and the tiny, black thing, wilting in the depths of his heart, twitched slightly. It wasn't dead yet. 

“Agent Barton, Clint Barton?” Clint turned around and smirked at the other man.

“Call me Clint, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

“What is it, Stark? You coming?” 

“Yeah, I'm coming.” Tony nodded, smiled and followed the team. 

 

 

“Clint, what happened there with you and Stark?” Natasha leaned back in her seat, her arms folded and her perfectly shaped brow raised. “You've stared at him as if you had seen a ghost.” 

“Do you... do you believe in coincidences, Tash?” he asked and took the boiling kettle and filled water into the two mugs with tea bags. He shut off the hotplate, went over to the small table, placed one mug in front of Natasha and shoved the honey over to her. They both were in Clint's small quarter at base since he wasn't allowed to leave after the Manhattan incident.

“You know that I don't. What do you mean with coincidences?”

“What do you know about soul mates? Have you met yours?” He sat down, stirred a tablespoon of honey into his tea and took a sip, burnt his lip and cursed under his breath.

“No. And you know that I don't think that I have one. Do you want to tell me...” Her eyes went wide, just a tiny fraction but Clint of course saw it.

“There was something,” Clint interrupted her and rubbed the back of his neck, leaned back and looked at the ceiling. “You know, when he patted my arm it was... I've never felt something like this in my life before, Tash. I could feel him, taste him, smell him, hear him and see him, everything at once and I felt... I felt... I don't know how to describe it. Happy, I guess.” He took his mug again and tried another sip and this time it was drinkable. 

“You think Stark is your soul mate?” Natasha removed the tea bag, wrapped it around her spoon carefully and squeezed the rest of the water out of it before she threw it into the bucket close by the counter.

“I don't know. I didn't know that someone is able to feel so much at the same time at all without exploding,” he chuckled slightly when Natasha rolled her eyes. “I really don't know.”

“Have you talked to someone about soul bonds?” She asked and pointed with her spoon at Clint.

“Do you know how many people I've asked over the years? Everyone just said 'you will know when you meet the right one',” he snorted.

“No, I mean recently. Have you asked someone lately?” 

“Whom? I don't know anyone who wants to talk to me. I mean, after Loki? No one talks to me.” 

“Clint, I...” 

“I wish I could talk to Phil. He would've known.” Clint sighed and rubbed his face before he looked into his mug. It was empty and he sighed again and shoved it away. 

“Maybe you should ask the shrink you're supposed to meet.” Natasha smirked. Clint groaned and hit his head against the wall behind him a few times.

“Is that really necessary?” 

“If you ever want to get cleared for duty then yes. And see it as a chance. _They_ usually know a lot about human souls.”

“Yeah. You're probably right.” Clint pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed again. Natasha patted his arm and he looked at her hand, touching his arm and he didn't feel anything but her skin on his and the warmth of her body. “Do you think he felt the same?” 

 

 

Tony never believed in fate. He was a pragmatist to the core. Long time ago, when he was a college student and young and still impressionable he might have believed in fate but now, clearly on the wrong side of forty, he had stopped that. It was obviously that there wasn't a chance that he ever would find his soul mate. And so he had stopped searching. 

He was happy the way things were. He had a reputation as playboy, had had his fair share in _relationships_ and trifling flings with both, men and women. 

When he was a boy and he saw his parents, saw the way they looked at each other, the way they touched each other he knew that was what he wanted but when he grew older and he realized, that there wasn't someone out there to be meant for him, he locked the part of his soul that still believed in fate away. Press called him a cold, calculating bastard and honestly, he could live with that. They called him worse. 

Afghanistan changed everything. After becoming Iron Man it was getting better with the press. They at least didn't call him things like 'Merchant of Death' anymore. No, now they sometimes called him hero. But shouldn't a hero be able to find the one person meant for him? Maybe it was karma. All the people who died through weapons he had built, he had sold, maybe he deserved it. 

He would never admit it but sometimes Tony felt lonely and after Pepper left him because she had found her soul mate – one of the scientists who worked for him – he hit rock-bottom. He stopped going to parties, started to drink again, something he had had under control for a long time, he hid in his workshop and build more Iron Man suits than he would ever need. 

When Agent came to tell him that they needed him because something with a cube called Tesseract was wrong he was glad that he could get out of his tower, out of this _exile_. He met Dr. Banner, a brilliant man and one of the few who could keep pace with him, so to speak, and he met Captain America, his childhood hero and his father's friend. Natalie was there, too, but now she wasn't Natalie anymore, now she was Natasha and one of the deadliest people in the world. And she told them that one of theirs was missing, taken by Loki, the guy they were after. Tony looked at the picture of Agent Barton and something happened in his intestines, something stirred, wanted, wanted something he couldn't identify. Barton was a good looking guy, nothing spectacular, though, but good looking nevertheless. But for reasons Tony didn't know, he couldn't avert his eyes. There was something with this one, something he couldn't explain. And Tony Stark was a genius, he could explain nearly everything. 

But then the helicarrier got attacked by said Agent Barton and after the attack Agent was dead, Banner and Thor were gone and Barton in the infirmary and Tony had to help the engineers that the carrier stayed in the air and he and Capsicle discovered that Loki tried to use his tower to lead his attack. He, Cap, Natalie and Barton flew to New York where they met Thor and Banner and they fought against aliens and fucking gigantic flying creatures. This was the first time he saw Barton close and there it was again, the pulling, drawing, tugging deep in him but there were aliens to fight and then Fury called him and told him that some fuckers sent a nuclear bomb to level New York.

Inwardly Tony laughed while flying with the nuke through the rift in the sky. Finally, after all the years, something happened, pulled, tugged and he flew into another galaxy with a bomb on his back. He saw the bomb destroy the aliens' vessel. 

Tony didn't believe in fate, he never had. But now, here, only god knew where, he placed his life, his future, everything in fate's hands and closed his eyes. And everything went black. 

When he woke, gasping for air, still shivering from the cold in outer space he looked up in Hulk's green face, Cap was there, dirty, tired and he told him that they'd won and Thor was there, too. He was alive and fate brought him back. If that wasn't a reason to celebrate? 

Cap helped him up and they went to the remains of the barely brought to the ground, destroyed, crashed quinjet and Natalie came over with Barton in tow. Tony removed his suit. It was damaged and he couldn't breath properly in it right now and he needed to test a theory, his theory, he needed to know if fate was right to bring him back. 

He told them that they were going to eat Shawarma and both of them had no objections and with a breath he needed to know if the drawing, the pulling, the tugging meant anything or if fate just played with him. He patted his shoulder and _accidentally_ brushed his arm, his hand on bare skin.

Time stood still and he could hear only his own breathing and Barton's heartbeat, he felt all the tiny hairs on his arms, his legs, his neck raise and a wonderful warm feeling surrounded him, hugged him, he could smell the sweat on his skin sweet like orchids and his eyes were drawn to him, only him, all his senses were focused on Barton and his soul, his soul rejoiced. He had found his soul mate, the one person meant for him. After all the time he finally found him.


	3. Chapter 3

James Rhodes considered himself the best friend of Tony Stark since he met him in college. He had been with him when his parents died, he had been with him when he had his flings with men and women, he had been with him when he had great successes and he was with him when he drowned his sorrows in a bottle with whiskey, he was with him when he came back from Afghanistan, when Pepper left him, when Fury decided that he couldn't be part of the Avengers, just a consultant and when he became an Avenger nevertheless. 

With a clear conscience he could say that he knew Tony. But in all the time he was befriended with him he had never seen him like this. Never. He was giddy with excitement, he smiled broadly, he honest to god smiled – not his usual trademark smirk – and he talked about the man he met, the man he thought was his soul mate. 

And James knew that Tony wouldn't admit it till the day of his death but he had really searched for his soul mate, he had craved for the one person supposed to be with him, he had felt lonely. And now it seemed as if he had found him. 

Of course Tony wanted to know as much as possible about him and since the man, Barton, was a SHIELD agent and unfortunately the one Loki had taken to lead his attack, Director Fury didn't let Tony to him. Barton was confined to his quarters till the investigation was over and only his partner, Agent Romanov, was allowed to visit him. But that wasn't a problem for Tony, he just hacked their database to read his files. 

Tony's smile broadened when he managed to kill another firewall and then, when he heard that triumphant “Ha!” he knew that he was in. 

“So, you're in,” James sighed and leaned back against the wall in his workshop. It was the only chance to lean against anything since the stools he had down here had now backrests.

“Where are you, Agent Barton, Clint Barton?” Tony murmured and James raised his brow. 

“Okay, what's that with the strange way you always say his name?” he huffed and Tony turned to him and his smile broadened even more. 

“Oh that? That was what he said. I can call him Legolas if you prefer.” 

“Le... Legolas? What the... Why would you call him Legolas?” James raised his other brow as well and both tried to hit his hairline. 

“He's an archer. Bow and arrow. Legolas. You've read Tolkien, I know that. What about Robin Hood?” Tony shook his head, still grinning and he couldn't resist to roll his eyes. 

“Okay, I get it. So, what do you... Tony?” James saw Tony's happy expression deflate and he stared at the screen open-mouthed. “Tony? What's wrong?” He rose and went over to him and looked at the screen himself. He had found Barton's file. And when he glanced over it he found what Tony had upset. Clint Barton was bonded and according to his file it was a soul bond with another agent, Bobbi Morse. 

“How's that possible?” Tony looked up at him. His eyes were dark and he could see him gnash his teeth. “How's that possible, Rhodey?” he asked again. 

“I... I don't know, Tony. Maybe it's a mistake? I mean... you've told me you felt the tug, right?”

“Yes, it was there. It was... it was beautiful, Rhodey. How is it possible that he's bonded? Is that even possible?” 

“I don't know.” He went over to Tony and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezed it and felt how tense the other man was. Tony turned and looked at him.

“We can weave only one bond in our life, Rhodey, and...” 

“... actually, no...” 

“... how is it possible... wait, what?” 

“Actually, we can weave more than one bond in our life, but only one real soul bond. It's not advisable to weave a soul bond without the tug, though. It's dangerous for the soul, it can get hurt.” 

“How do you know that?” Tony cocked his head and knitted his brows.

“Uhm... you remember Cynthia Willis? She was at the college with us. We dated before she met her soul mate. She studied psychology with soul bonds as core theme.” 

“Oh, yes! That was the girl with the flowing robes and the big earrings, right?” 

“Right. Tony, you need to talk to him. When you've felt the tug then he felt it, too. You don't know why he's bonded but it's not good.” 

“No one breaks a bond, Rhodey. A bond is forever. It's... that's something just simply not done.” 

“But you need to talk to him, that's for sure,” he said and Tony nodded.

“And I will.” He rose, shoved him aside and went to his suits. 

“Wait, what are you up to?” James rose as well and grabbed Tony's arm, turned him back and forced him to look at him.

“What do you think? I want to talk to him. I... I need to know, Rhodey. Can't you understand that? I've waited so long, so, so long and now... now that I found him he's bonded? There's something wrong and I...” He looked away and licked his lips, then he took a deep breath. “I need to know.” 

“You can't just walk into the next SHIELD base and ask for Barton, Tony. Do you even know where the base is? They are secret.” 

“Secret my ass, Rhodey. I'm just hacked their system, remember? I know where they are.” His expression got firm and determined.

“But you can't...” He tried again to convince Tony to take it slow but Tony shoved him aside and shook his head.

“You wanna bet? No one, not even Nick Fury can keep me away from him. I need to talk to him and that's what I'm going to do.” 

 

 

It was the first time since the 'Battle of New York' as the incident got called now that he was allowed to leave his quarters without guards but Natasha was still with him. And since he knew that the guards – a bunch of guys Fury had 'borrowed' from SWORD – were also there to protect him as well as the others in case he would attack someone again, it was freeing in a way to be without them. 

He and Natasha were at the gym today, at the range and now they were in the cafeteria. It got quiet when they entered. People stared at him, most of them just curious if there was something left of Loki but some outright hostile. Probably the ones who lost beloved ones during his attack. Natasha glared at them and her stare was helpful right now. Not many people were able to stand her stare for extended periods. Clint didn't look up anymore. He didn't want to see the hateful glances, it was enough that he could _feel_ them. Natasha shoved him over to the serving counter and ordered their food and he saw the woman who worked there barely refrained herself from spitting onto his plate but she shoved it so violently in his direction that some of the sauce splashed onto his shirt. 

He saw Natasha open her mouth and give her a piece of her mind but Clint grabbed her arm and shook his head. 

“Thank you,” he said to the woman and took his plate and Natasha's. The redhead stayed back for a few more seconds and glared at the poor woman till she turned around and fled into the kitchen. He really didn't expect anything else. The last days, when he wasn't allowed to leave his quarters, the SWORD guys fetched his food. One day there were hairs in his rice, one day he found a dead chafer in his salad, one day there were dubious stains on his cutlery and every day the fruit he always ate for dessert were mushy or underripe. He didn't complain, he just ate what was edible and threw the rest into the bin. 

“I can understand them, Natasha,” he said when they sat at a table in the back and he picked at his food but didn't eat right now. He just searched for more surprises while he clenched his hand a few times and moved his ass on the bench.

He felt her scrutinizing look at him now and then he heard her shake her head. “No, Clint. That's not right. It wasn't your fault and Fury told them. They know. It could've been everyone,” she hissed and Clint couldn't repress a snort.

“No. No, it couldn't, Natasha. He told me why it was so easy to take me. He said...” 

“You don't really believe anything of his bullshit, right? This guy is called the God of lies, Clint. He lies. That's his job by definition. He... what the fuck is wrong with you. Why are you so jittery?” She had seen that he shifted around on his side of the bench, that he only toyed with his fork and that he still clenched his hands constantly.

“I... I don't know. Something... something feels wrong.” He swallowed but then a junior agent slithered into the cafeteria and pointed in the direction he just came from.

“Iron Man is here and he's yelling at Director Fury in the main hall,” he announced, apparently only meant for the other junior agents sitting at a table close to the entrance but all of them heard it and lots of agents left the cafeteria. Iron Man yelling at Fury? That was something they needed to see. 

Clint's mouth went dry. “He's here,” he breathed and Natasha nodded, her mouth turned into a tiny, knowing smirk. 

“Well, that explains that,” she said, shoved her plate away and pointed with her head at the door. Clint nodded, rose and followed her slowly. It didn't take long and they could already hear him but only when they entered the main hall they could understand him.

“... don't fucking care about your regulations. I demand to see him. Immediately.” Tony stood there in his suit, only his face plate open and about twenty SHIELD agents stood around them, their guns trained on him and even more people were there to gawk, plain and simple. 

“And I've told you just mere seconds ago, Mr. Stark, that this is not possible. He's not cleared yet and...” 

“... he's part of the Avengers and so he's...” Tony yelled now and Fury pinched the bridge of his nose and Clint could tell that he was on the point of drawing his gun and shoot off his face. But then, suddenly, Tony interrupted himself mid-sentence and turned his head and looked at him, found the spot where he stood unerringly and a smile appeared on his face and Clint could feel something twitch deep in him, felt warmth bloom in his middle and his eyes were trained on him, Tony, only him. 

The moment Tony spotted him he turned and wanted to walk over to him but even more guns were drawn and trained on him now. Something clenched up in his intestines and only Natasha's hand on his shoulder prevented that he ran over to him right now.

“Mr. Stark, please stop to make a scene,” Fury snapped but Tony ignored him, opened the shoulder plate on his suit, revealed a lot of projectiles and turned to the agent right in front of him, Woo. 

“If you don't get out of my way within the next ten seconds all of you with your petty guns will get a problem.” Tony growled and the agents looked at Fury, unsure what do to. Clint wanted to get over to him but Natasha held his arm and shook her head but then Fury huffed audibly and told them to put away their guns. 

“Don't you have something to do?” he bellowed at the gawkers and they hurried out of the main hall as fast as possible. Only Tony, Fury, Clint, Natasha and Woo were still there and Fury walked over to Tony, glared at him. 

“This is not over, Mr. Stark,” he hissed, gestured at Woo and together they left the main hall. 

“We need to talk,” Tony said as soon as Fury was gone. Natasha, who was still close by, patted his shoulder, nodded and left as well. 

“I know a place where we can talk without interruption.” 

“Okay, lead the way,” Tony said but Clint gestured at the entrance door and when the older man raised his brow Clint couldn't resist to smirk and pointed at the roof of one of the buildings not far away.

“Wanna give me a lift?” He asked and Tony chuckled slightly.

“You better clench up, Legolas.”


	4. Chapter 4

As soon as Tony's feet hit the roof he stepped away from Clint and out of his suit. Clint waited for him but the moment he was out of it he made a step in his direction and carefully touched the other man's arm. Once again his awareness got flooded with Tony. 

“How's that possible?” The older man asked immediately and looked at him but didn't move his arm back. 

“I... I guess it's what they call the tug,” Clint tried but Tony shook his head. 

“You're bonded. How's it possible that you can _feel_ the tug? How's it possible that _I_ can feel it?” He raised his brows and this time Clint removed his hand, walked a few steps to the edge of the roof and sat down at the small balustrade surrounding it. He sighed and wiped over his face and suddenly he felt tired and old. 

“They tricked me. I...” Clint stopped, licked his lips and swallowed. He looked down at his feet for a moment before he started to speak again. “Tony, do you have an idea how many people I've asked about soul bonds in my life? Everyone only told me 'You will know when you've met the right one'.” Tony came over to him and sat down beside him. He carefully reached over and took Clint's hand. It was simply too tempting since he had him so close. “I mean, my life never went by the book. It's... fucked up and I've thought that... I've thought that I'm fucked up, that I just couldn't feel the tug.” 

“What do you mean, you couldn't feel it?” Tony asked, carefully stroking Clint's hand with his thumb and definitely enjoying the sensation flooding his whole being.

“Bobbi, my... my bond mate... she told me all the things. You know, how she could... feel me. All the things I've never felt before but I've read about.” He blushed when Tony raised his brow. “Yes, I've read a few novels,” he admitted. “She told me that she could feel me like I can feel _you_ but I couldn't feel her back then. I've thought it's because of all the shit ever happened before, that my soul is too damaged to feel anything. I've never thought that she could lie to me. She was... she was _nice_ and... I liked her, you know? We dated and after a while she said, that she loves the fact that we're soul mates and...” he trailed of again and wiped once more over his face. “In retrospective I know now that I was just dumb to believe her. But back then, Tony, she was everything I had aside from Coulson and he was just my handler. And so I agreed to the bonding ceremony. I've thought maybe it will change given time, that I can feel her, too.” 

Tony slid over, closed the gap between them and placed an arm around Clint because he knew, he just knew that _this_ was the right thing to do at this moment. And Clint leaned against him, a surge of thankfulness flowing into his consciousness. 

“You're not dumb, you've been inexperienced.” 

“I weaved a soul bond with someone who isn't my soul mate. That sounds pretty dumb to me,” Clint huffed a laugh and Tony nudged his shoulder. 

“You've trusted them,” he said quietly and Clint turned his head and looked at him for a long moment before he nodded.

“Can I trust you?” 

Tony swallowed but then he cupped his face. “May I?” he asked and then Clint's eyes met his. And Tony leaned over, closed the rest of the distance and touched his lips with his. They both had thought the contact of skin on skin was intensive but the first time their lips connected was like an explosion of emotions and sensory input, it felt as if their existences melted into each other and for a short moment their souls converged, touched, shared everything, their thoughts, all the fears and joys and insecurities and there was something completely new for both of them. Something so intensive that they both almost forgot to breathe, something so beautiful that they both never wanted to stop. It was love, so pure and perfect, it was overwhelming and Clint knew, no, it was burnt into each and every one of his cells, he knew that he could trust Tony and Tony knew that he could trust Clint. There was a familiarity between the two of them as if they'd known each other their whole life and they both knew that their souls had found their counterpart.

“Okay,” Clint said when they finally parted. “Okay,” he repeated after a few more seconds just staring at Tony and feeling his eyes on him.

“Yeah,” Tony nodded and licked his lips. He could still feel where Clint's lips had been mere seconds ago. “My... my mom told me this would be intense but... phew... I've never expected it to be... well... like this,” he smiled. Of course he smiled. He couldn't, he wouldn't get the smile of his face, even if he wanted to. He was still filled with endorphins and... and love. 

But Tony had discovered something else, something he had presumed. The soul bond Clint was tricked into had _damaged_ his soul, hurt it and he could feel it now himself. It felt like a huge, bleeding gash whenever his soul _touched_ Clint's and it hurt him, Tony. How much more did it have to hurt Clint?

Once more he brought his hand up to the younger man's face, cupped his cheek and stroked it with his thumb. “You know you can trust me, Clint.” He murmured. 

“Yes. Yes, I know.” 

“Your bond mate... Bobbi?” Clint nodded and Tony continued. “Did you ask her to let you out of this bond?” 

“Of course,” Clint snorted. “More than once. She... declined.” His voice was bitter when he said this. There had to be more but Tony didn't want to press him. He would tell him when he was ready to. 

“But why did she do it in the first place? What if _she_ meets her real soul mate?” Tony knitted his brows and Clint looked down at his hands for a second before he sighed. 

“She won't. He died when she was eighteen.” 

“Fuck,” Tony cursed and Clint nodded slowly. 

“Yeah, I'm fucked.” 

“No, Clint. No, you're not. We'll find a solution.” Tony wiped over his face with one hand. He had always solutions for everything but for once he had no idea, actually. It wasn't too difficult to break a bond if both mates are willing to. But as long as one of them refused it was impossible. Fury. This bastard had fucked up everything once again. He wrapped his arm tight around Clint's shoulder and felt the younger man wrap his around his waist and they stayed there, just giving comfort to each other till they heard steps and when Tony looked up he saw the two _bodyguards_ arriving, waiting for Clint.

“I... I have an appointment with a bunch of SHIELD's shrinks. They still need to decide if I'm a threat to mankind and need to be locked away or if I can be unleashed on the world again,” he said quietly and Tony could only nod, his throat so tight. He rose together with Clint, their hands connected and when he walked away with his guards he held onto him as long as possible, looking over his shoulder. Tony closed his eyes. Since he met Clint, since he knew that they were meant to be together they never managed to be actually together for more than mere minutes. 

“I'll find a solution, Clint!” he yelled after them before they could enter the building and Clint turned his head, looked at him and smiled. 'I know', he mouthed. And then they were gone.

 

 

Bobbi Morse met her soul mate with sixteen. Her father was a Marine and they moved from base to base and on one of them she met Daniel. He was a few months older than her and they went to the same school, they had maths together and they met after school to learn sometimes. 

She always imagined her soul mate to be like Daniel, good looking, intelligent, brave, kind and generous. But when they were seventeen and he asked her father for the allowance to weave their bond her dad said no. She hated him for it. So they waited the year till both of them turned eighteen and could legally weave the bond. But since Daniel was a few months older than her he already had joined the Marines. The day she turned eighteen the two of them met and went to the next soul bond registrar and weaved their bond. They had one week together and then Daniel had to fly to Afghanistan. It was the most beautiful week in her whole life. And it was the last time she had seen him alive. Two weeks after Daniel left two men knocked at her door and told her, that he was dead. Killed in action. He had saved his comrades lives and was a hero. Bobbi broke down.

One week. One fucking week could she spend bonded with her soul mate and then, then he died. She fell into a deep hole and the part of her soul that was bonded to Daniel died. She spent four weeks grieving before she decided that she couldn't bring him back and she locked the rest of her soul into the place where Daniel lived forever and went to the Georgia Institute of Technology to study biochemistry. She traveled to the Savage Land and she was a changed woman when she was back. 

She joined SHIELD and became an agent. And there she met Clint Barton.

Her first impression was dumb, undereducated hick. She had to change that opinion really fast because Clint maybe didn't have a formal education but he definitely wasn't dumb. To see him explain a tactical plan was breathtaking, his clarity of thought, and often even experienced tacticians had to ask to go back and to explain something step-by-step because his intuitive laps were too fast for them. On the other hand he lacked a great deal of common knowledge. For example, he had no idea who Harry Potter was or he had never read Tolkien or even the Grimm's Fairy Tales. 

When Fury came to her and said he had a special mission for her she was curious and then he explained his plan to _tie_ Clint to SHIELD with a bond. She had pointed out that it could be dangerous for him but Fury said he had asked some experts and it would be okay. She asked him for respite but in the end she agreed.

Clint wasn't unattractive in a way – not really her type but not unattractive – and she liked him. Not from the first time they met but after a few missions together she realized that she liked him. She asked him out on a date and he accepted. They had fun together, like actual friends, but she knew that it wouldn't, that it couldn't be more from her side because she still – and always would – loved Daniel. 

Bobbi was one of the best agents when it came to seducing a mark and she used all the tricks she had learned in those classes to pull him closer to her. When she and Clint dated more frequently it didn't take too long and they had sex for the first time. And once more she had to step back and change her misjudgment. She had expected him to be rough and violently in the sack but he wasn't. He was the most considerate and observant lover she ever had – yes, even in comparison with Daniel – and she started to hate him for it. How can he not be like she thought? It would have made her mission so much easier if he were the dumb hick who was negligent and rough but no, he had to be gentle and friendly. And when he looked at her with his insecure but trusty eyes, always searching for all the things she told him she would feel, she became angry. How could he trust her? Couldn't he see that all this wasn't more than a charade? That it was a scheme to tie him to SHIELD? How could he not see _that_? They say his eye sight is remarkable but apparently they were right, he saw better from a distance and he was too close, too involved to see what Fury had in his mind. 

When she finally told him about her _feelings_ , that she thought they were soul mates his eyes went wide and she could see that he doubted himself, not her. And she almost felt sorry for him because she knew, she knew that if he would say yes, if he would tie his soul to hers he would suffer. They weren't meant to be together. Somewhere out there was someone who was supposed to be with him and he would never be able to feel the pure joy of two souls finally united. If he said yes then he was hers and she would never, never break the bond. That was just simply not done. No one breaks a soul bond. Not even a fake one. 

He said yes and for a brief second Bobbi thought about to tell him the truth, to tell him to run as fast as possible but in the end, it was just a job. Nothing more. He was her mark and she would do what her boss told her. She knew that the bond meant he could never be together with the person that was meant for him but on the other hand, neither could she. So why should she be the only one who had to suffer?

Their ceremony wasn't huge or spectacular, it was only the two of them and Coulson and Fury as their witnesses. He had asked why she had chosen Fury and not her father or someone of her family and she had told him that she wasn't on speaking terms with them and Fury was the closest she had to a father. In fact, he had insisted to be there to make sure that they really would do it. She knew that Clint had chosen Coulson, his handler, because he was the closest he had to a family since they were all dead.

She remembered the first time she had sex with Daniel after their bonding ceremony. It had been so, so beautiful and she thought she would burst from pure happiness but with Clint it was different. Of course he was a great lover and the sex with him was fantastic but it wasn't the same as with the person you're supposed to be together with. She knew that Clint secretly read romance novels. She had found quite a few hidden in his quarter and she knew that the first time as bonded couple is usually written as the most pleasurable experience ever because it is. But when they had sex this evening after their ceremony she saw the first tiny hints of doubt in his eyes. This wasn't what he had expected. Definitely not. 

They moved into a SHIELD approved apartment together and Bobbi asked to get sent on missions without him as often as possible. She didn't want to spend too much time with him, not when she always saw his eyes, saw the trust vanishing slowly and saw the raw pain in them. He knew that it was a huge mistake but he couldn't acknowledge it to himself yet. And even if she knew that – technically – it was her fault she hated him for the look in his eyes. She started to hurt him when they had sex to keep him away, she was dismissive so she didn't need to talk to him too much, she was away when he was at _home_ and the other way round. 

On their first anniversary he was captured by terrorists and Coulson asked her if she wanted to be in the rescue team. She declined. She called later, when he was in the infirmary, about his condition but that was that. 

On their second anniversary she was on a mission and she lost half of their team, one of them was a young man just recently bonded to his soul mate and she would never see him again. When she came back to their apartment Clint had prepared dinner. He honest to god wanted to _celebrate_ their fucked up bond so short after seeing a man die, after having to tell a young woman that she would never see her bond mate again. And she couldn't hold back, she was so angry that she hit him. She yelled at him, called him names and in all her rage it slipped out that they never were meant to be together. 

He disappeared for three months. And when Coulson brought him back – she had no idea what he had said to convince him to come back – he moved to the study. Sometimes, when she was angry and needed to blow off steam she went to him and they had angry, violent sex – he never said no – but usually he managed to avoid her nowadays. 

Fury finally agreed for him to move back to base. And then he brought in the Black Widow and she became his best friend. Bobbi, who wanted to hurt him, flirted with other agents when he was within eye shot and his reaction, after some time, was, that he asked her to break the bond. He asked her in the main hall of the Triskelion, surrounded by colleagues and friends of her, to break the bond. No one, no one breaks a bond. She was so angry that she hit him and yelled at him right there and when it became quiet around them and all the other agents stared at them, she turned around and walked away. She could see the eyes turned to him because he had asked his bonded mate to break the bond. No one breaks a bond, it's fucking sacrosanct. No one breaks a bond! 

When Fury sent him to New York she asked for a relocation to the West Coast. Two weeks later she moved into a nice, SHIELD approved apartment in Los Angeles and she tried to forget Clint Barton. 

But then, one day, Lacey, one of the agents she was befriended with, called her and they went into the control center where many agents stared baffled onto the screens. Aliens attacked New York and one of the team of heroes fighting against them was Clint Barton. She grabbed her phone and called her friends but she couldn't get one of them, they were otherwise engaged. But when they called her back she learned that Clint had met Tony Stark and that something happened between them. It seemed as if they were soul mates. And Bobbi paled.


	5. Chapter 5

Agent Peretta opened the door after a short knock and Fury looked up from his desk where he just read in a file.

“I have those files for you,” she said and held them up and inwardly Fury sighed. He hated all this paperwork bullshit and he hoped, he really hoped that Phil was going to be well soon, so he could shove off this crap... uhm... so he could delegate some work. “And Mr. Stark is outside and wants to talk to you.” Peretta added and Fury needed all his willpower not to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“Send him in, Agent.” He said and skimmed through the pile of folders she had placed on his desk. One of them was the final report about Barton's condition and since he knew that Stark was there he pulled this file out and opened it. 

Against all the odds Stark didn't storm in and yell at him, quite the contrary. He knocked and when Fury begged him in he just nodded at him. Fury pointed at the one chair in front of his desk, also laden with papers and files. Stark raised his brow but took the stuff and placed it on the floor between him and the desk. 

“Mr. Stark, what can I do for you?” Fury asked and closed the file about Barton. 

“I need to talk to you,” he said and Fury was sorely tempted to call for some agents to drag Stark down to medical to get him tested if he really was Tony Stark. His behavior was so untypical that he couldn't resist a frown. 

“If it's about Barton I just got his file and...” Stark raised his hand and interrupted him.

“Yes. And no, I have another idea and I think it might be in your and in our all interest.” Fury pursed his lips but nodded.

“Okay. I'm listening.” He leaned back and folded his hands over his stomach.

“Right. It's about the Avengers. I know for sure that Dr. Banner doesn't want to stay with SHIELD, Captain Rogers is unsure as well and after the attack I'm pretty sure that the other agents aren't too keen to have Clint around – after all, that's one of the reasons why you have SWORD agents here to guard him. And given that I already have to renovate a large part of the Stark Tower I had the idea to use it as permanent base for the Avengers. I have redesigned a few floors for each one as personal living quarters, I let build in a gym, a wellness area and other useful stuff, I have the technology and already have a command center and – in case of an emergency – because of the ARC reactor the tower is independent from the local power grid. We have a helipad where a quinjet can start and land and both, Thor and Hulk, can come and go without always tearing down half the building.” 

“That sounds reasonable, but why do you offer your tower? I always thought you're not overly fond of SHIELD?” 

“That is the exact reason. With the tower as base we're also independent of SHIELD and I can keep my team mates away from you.” Stark crossed his legs and placed both hands on one knee. 

“But...” Fury wanted to object but once more Stark interrupted him.

“One agent, _Director_ Fury, one agent as liaison between the Avengers and SHIELD and _we_ decide which mission we accept or don't. Of course you can get all the credit you want, after all, the Avengers are your _baby_. But we operate independent or not at all. I've talked to the others and they agree with me. That's the only way this can work. Otherwise Banner will disappear again, Rogers will join the Army, Thor will stay in Asgard and I have still my company. Maybe you can order Clint or Natalie around but they can quit if they want and work for SI, I can always use good people.” 

Fury squinted his eye for a moment before he looked at him and nodded slowly. 

“You're not angry about the Barton situation anymore?” 

“Oh, you have no idea how angry I am. I'd love to beat the stuffing out of you right now,” Stark admitted and Fury raised his brow. “But right now I want something from you.” 

“Information?” 

“Information.” Stark confirmed. “I want to know why this scheme with Clint? Why did you force him into a bond?” 

“I didn't force him,” Fury said but Stark raised a brow and he sighed. “I merely suggested that a bond would tie him to SHIELD and that it could be helpful to ensure that he stays.” 

“ _That's_ your reason? That's your reason to hurt him so badly?” Stark raised his voice but still kept calm on the surface. “Do you have the slightest idea what a forced bond can do to a person?” 

“When did you become an expert in soul bonds, Mr. Stark?” Fury asked and then he felt the urge to slap his own head because he knew Stark long enough to know that, when there was something of interest, he would research till he knew everything. 

“I can feel him, Fury,” he spat. “I can feel the damage this bond has done to him. It feels like a huge, bleeding gash inside of him. And I can only imagine how much more this has to hurt him.” 

Stark rose and started to pace slowly. “You need to talk to this Agent who's bonded with him. She needs to break the bond.” 

“I can't do that, Mr. Stark.” Fury shook his head and this time he didn't resist the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. 

“What?!” Stark whirled around and glared at him violently. “You're kidding, right?” 

“I'm afraid I'm not. Can you imagine what a scandal this would create? Soul bonds are sacrosanct, Stark. You, the Avengers, are considered heroes, you are considered role models. You can't go out and break a bond. No one breaks a bond. That's just simply not done.”

“So, you just let him live like that? Because you want to prevent a scandal?” 

“In a few years maybe, when...”

“Years? Do you sometimes listen to yourself? His soul is so badly hurt already, it won't survive a few more years.” Stark threw his hands in the air in frustration. “I don't wanna lose him, not so short after finding him.”

“Stark.” Fury tried to interrupt him but Stark just didn't stop speaking.

“You need to help him, Fury.” 

“Stark.” 

“If there's something left of your heart then you help him.” 

“Stark!” The genius finally turned around and looked at him angrily.

“What?” He spat, sat down again and buried his face in his hands.

“I can't do that, Stark. Not now. Not after the thing with Loki and the Battle and all the shit that happened. You have to understand that the situation is...” 

“The situation? You are a bastard!” He rose and placed both hands on Fury's desk now. “The opera ain't over until the fat lady sings, Fury. I won't let him suffer any longer. If you don't do anything then _I_ will do it and you know, you won't like my methods.” 

Stark left the office and slammed the door shut behind him. 

With a sigh he took Barton's file again and read it. Apparently Stark was right. According to the shrinks Barton's soul was badly damaged and they recommended to break his bond. They knew about the faked bond with Agent Morse since Fury had asked them before he had sent her to Barton. But he couldn't risk it. Not right now. Not after this disaster with Loki and the WSC sending a nuke to New York. On the other hand, he wouldn't want to risk his best sharpshooter's wellbeing. 

He really wished he could talk to Phil now. He already missed his best friend and soul mate badly.


	6. Chapter 6

“Okay,” Tony said and smiled when he saw the elevator door open. The first two persons who left it were Steve and Natasha but Tony knew, no he felt, that _he_ was here as well and only a few seconds later he left the elevator as well. And when he spotted Tony the smile he also had on his face broadened. 

“You're here,” he breathed when he carefully touched his hand and Clint bowed his head, placed his forehead against Tony's and he could _feel_ him in so many ways, it was breathtaking. Once more he was astounded how powerful the tug was already and he wondered what it would feel like if they could actually bond their souls together one day. 

“Tony,” Clint whispered as if he couldn't believe it. 

“Uhm...” Steve said after a while and both, Clint and Tony, blushed and separated and he felt the _loss_ immediately. 

“Welcome to Stark Tower, welcome to our new base,” Tony said and waved his hand around. “As you can see, this is the communal floor. We have here a large living room,” he pointed in the direction, “the kitchen is over there,” he pointed again, “and if you want to follow me I'll show you the command center.” 

He led them to the large room with an open doorway. “There's a security door and JARVIS can shut it immediately in case of an emergency. Or you can use that button,” Tony pointed at it. One side of the room was filled with different screens to follow the news, to watch the security cameras in and around Stark tower, some of them were meant to communicate with SHIELD or others but most of them were designed to plan and supervise their missions. In the middle of the room was a large table, also equipped with the newest StarkTech. It was part conference table and part holographic simulator. 

“That's... impressive,” Steve said and walked around, touched a few of the screens and when they changed their settings he nodded. Tony raised his brow. Apparently the old man knew what he did. “Nice,” Steve said and Tony's jaw fell down. _Nice??_

Tony led them back to the elevator and they rode up to the floor he had designed for Steve. “That's your floor, Cap,” Tony sad as soon as all of them stepped out. 

“The whole floor?” Steve cocked his head and Tony shrugged. 

“Sure. Too much or not enough space?” he asked and Steve's eyes went wide.

“I'd say too much but I guess all of us will get the same space, right?” he asked and Tony laughed good-humored. 

“That's true. All right,” Tony clapped his hands and showed Steve his floor and Clint and Natasha followed them as well. “If you want something changed let me or JARVIS know, okay?” 

“Uhm... sure,” Steve nodded and then Tony led them to the elevator again and they stopped at Natasha's floor and again he showed them around.

“For you I have two options,” Tony said to Clint when they entered the elevator once more. 

“Yeah? How comes?” Clint asked, his eyes wide.

“You can have your own floor if you want. But – and that is what I would prefer – you move in with me.” Tony smiled and Clint as well as Steve and Natasha could see the tiny hint of insecurity in the genius's eyes.

“You want me to move in with you?” Clint cocked his head and Tony furrowed his brows slightly. Did he read him wrong? 

“Well, only if you want of course. I mean, the floor is still here and...” Tony started but he couldn't finish his sentence, he got stopped when Clint tackled him and pressed him against he elevator wall. Natasha and Steve sighed and turned away but they both smiled fondly at each other.

“Does that mean...” Tony asked when they parted and Clint nodded, broadly grinning. 

“Yes, of course.” And Tony felt the joy sweeping through the younger man and he knew that he would feel something similar because he was absolutely happy that he had accpeted. 

“But we'll keep that floor for you, just in case, you know?” 

“What kind of case, Tony? That I would leave you? You know that I cannot do that as well as I know that you won't do it.” 

“You're right,” they stepped onto the floor Tony had had designed for Clint, just to show him but then the younger man took his hand and again he felt the connection between the two of them. “So, I guess I need to find a new purpose for this floor then,” he said and smiled when Clint squeezed his hand. It was indescribable how he felt as soon as he was close to him and all the more when they touched. 

But then Tony shooed them back into the elevator and they rode down to the floor where he had built in the gym, the boxing ring, the wellness area, the indoor pool, a dance studio, a range suitable for guns as well as for bows and a huge shower area – a decontamination room included, just in case. 

“And the next five floors below this one are my and Bruce's different labs and workshops, one floor for my suits right below the penthouse, one floor as trainings area and the rest is Stark Industries. 

“You have a whole floor for your suits?” Steve raised a brow and Tony shrugged.

“I have quite a few and my collection is spacious.” 

“What about Bruce and Thor?” Natasha asked and turned to look at Tony.

“Yeah, I have of course floors for them, too. And both of them have access to the deck so they can leave without tearing down half the tower. On Bruce's floor is a Hulk-proof room where he can lock himself in if he can't get out.” 

“That's not a bad idea,” Steve nodded.

“In fact, since... well... Loki, most of the floors are Hulk-proof to a certain degree but this room is especially secured in case he's really angry.” Tony nodded and gestured at the elevator again. 

Steve and Natasha left at the communal floor, they said they wanted to _explore_ their new home and honestly, Tony was glad. Together with Clint he rode up to the penthouse. The window was already repaired but the hole in the floor where Hulk had smashed Loki in was still there. He saw Clint look at it and he sensed that a lot of different emotions occupied his mind. Relief that the Asgardian was now in custody, fear that something like that could happen again, happiness because of these events he had met Tony, regret that all those people died and he was happy, grief because Coulson was dead, anger that Bobbi didn't let him out of the bond when he had asked her. Tony sensed all this and he knew that they weren't his emotions but they were there in him as they were in Clint and honestly, it gave him a good scare. 

“The living room will be renovated soon but the rest of the penthouse is intact.” He said and went over to the bar. “You want something to drink?” Tony asked and Clint, who followed him, just shrugged. Tony opened the fridge and handed him a soda and with a smile the younger man took it but he didn't open it. 

“All right,” he clapped his hands again. “Let me show you around.” 

It didn't take them too long and ten minutes later they sat on a couch in the TV room, facing each other and their hands entangled.

“What do you think?” Tony asked, a little bit nervous now. 

“I like it. And you really want me to live here? With you?” 

“Where else would I want to have you?” He cocked his head but when Clint smiled again something warm started to pool in his chest and he couldn't do anything but smile as well. 

“No one ever wanted to have me around, not even my bond mate,” he said and Tony felt the warm feeling disappear as fast as it appeared. Once more he cursed Fury and this Bobbi woman for this disaster. But when he felt the insecurity that hit Clint at the moment he couldn't do anything else, he moved over to him, touched his face with one hand and gently pulled him closer and he could feel his body heat when he slowly moved into Clint's personal space and touched his lips with his. 

Once more it astounded him how intense a kiss with the younger man was and he knew that it was because they were meant for each other but that couldn't stop the astonishment. And it was so beautifully perfect, the softness of Clint's lips against his own, their shared breath, and Tony was overwhelmed by feelings he never had felt in this intensity before. 

“Would it be too early to tell you that I love you?” Clint asked and Tony could see his ears turn pink. 

“No. Because I love you, too. I cannot not love you, you know?”

“Yeah, I know.” Clint nodded and once more simply touched Tony and again he knew the reason since he knew so much already about him, he needed human contact. In the last years the only real contact was with his bond mate and that couldn't be satisfying. Tony knew that because the sex he had had with so many people before wasn't as satisfying as a simple touch from Clint. He wondered what sex with Clint would feel like and if he was able to survive it or if he would explode from feeling too much? And then he wondered what a touch with Clint would feel if their souls were actually bonded? Pepper and Rhodey told him it was so much more intense. It was pretty intense already and when it became even more, would his brain melt and die?

“Tell me about her,” Tony asked and Clint looked at him, scrutinized him. “I want to know if there's something we can use to convince her to let you out of that bond.” He added and Clint nodded. But before he could start to speak Tony moved closer to him and put his arm around him to give him as much contact as possible. 

“Okay,” he said, leaned against him and started to speak.

 

 

Nick Fury was frustrated. He knew it wasn't his best idea to force Barton into a bond but he wanted to keep him and at this time a few other agencies were interested in him as well. He had to find a reason to _tie_ him to SHIELD and at this time a soul bond seemed to be a good idea. Why would he work for someone else when his bond mate was with SHIELD? Well. Sometimes even he made mistakes. He would never admit that, not even under torture. 

He had read lots and lots of files and back then Bobbi Morse seemed to be the best choice. She had lost her own bond mate and when he asked her she agreed. He had misread the signs that she still hasn't been over the loss of her soul mate. And so he had _asked_ her to seduce Barton and to convince him that he was just too fucked up to feel an actual tug. Did he feel bad for the boy? Yes, absolutely. But that didn't mean that he wouldn't do it again. 

Now he only had to talk to Agent Morse and try to convince her to give in, to let Barton out of the bond. He knew that he expected much from her and that it wouldn't be easy but Stark was right. Barton's soul was too damaged to survive much longer in a bond like theirs. It was really, really scarce that a soul dies but when it happened it wasn't a pretty sight. It's said people whose soul died either withered away till they died themselves, only a shadow of their former self, or they lost everything what was _good_ in them. Experts found out that all of the worst mass murderers in history didn't have their soul anymore, they had lost it. And Fury didn't want neither one to happen to Barton. 

He should've listened to Phil. Phil had been dead against it but he hadn't listened to him. 

When he heard a knock at the door he sat up.

“Enter,” he bellowed and the door went open. Agent Morse came in and stopped in front of his desk. He pointed at the only empty chair – the other one was littered up with stuff – and waited till she sat down.

“You wanted to talk to me, Director?” she asked casually and crossed her legs.

“You know why you're here, Agent,” he said and he saw her expression harden and she folded her arms in front of her chest, definitely a stand-offish gesture and Fury sighed inwardly.

“It was your idea, sir,” she said and Fury nodded. 

“I know. But back then I didn't take into account how damaged his soul already had been. And now, now it's downright dangerous for Barton. I've told you back then that I don't want to lose him. I've never had a sniper with his abilities,” he said and leaned back, his hands folded over his stomach but he never, not for a second, moved his eye away from her face even if he appeared relaxed.

“Is that everything, sir? You don't want to lose your best sniper?” She raised her brow.

“No, of course not. Barton's a good man, a good agent and I still trust him after all that shit with Loki. He's an Avenger now and I need him there, SHIELD needs him, the world needs him.” 

“What about me?” 

“I've read your file, Agent. Your last mandatory examination said that your soul is steady. To break the bond wouldn't harm you in the slightest.” Fury pointed at the file on his desk.

“That wasn't what I meant, sir. I've lost my bond mate. Then I weaved a bond on your order. _That_ fact alone makes me a monster in most people's eyes. But when you force me to actually _break_ a bond... sir, you know how frowned upon this is. That would make a mockery out of myself in the best case. In the worst people would take me for the worst scum and then... what do you think would happen? Do you remember the last time someone broke a soul bond?” She spat and Fury felt a muscle twitch on his chin.

“I understand, Agent. But...” 

“No, sir. No way. _I_ won't break this bond. Not under these circumstances.” She didn't wait for him to say anything, she just rose and stormed out of the room. With a sigh Fury leaned back again and this time he sighed audible.

“Well, fuck!”


	7. Chapter 7

“How did you find me?” she asked when Clint turned the chair opposite of her around and straddled it.

“I'm an agent of SHIELD. If I can't find my own _bond mate_ I'd be wrong there, don't you think?” He turned around and gave the waiter a sign to bring him some coffee. When the man nodded he turned back to Bobbi and he had the impression that she looked at him as if she'd seen something disgusting. And probably – in her eyes – she had. 

“I've told you the last time I won't break the bond,” she hissed. 

“You don't have to. I'll take it on me. You just have to let go.” Clint waited till the waiter had put his coffee down and then he carefully stirred half a spoon milk in it before he took a sip.

“No, you don't understand me. I've told you before and I haven't changed my mind. I won't break the bond.” She didn't look away, just held his eyes with hers when he squinted them. 

“You know that doesn't make sense. We were never meant for each other.” He said quietly. 

“I'm not going to make a mockery out of myself.” She stated, her voice adamant and Clint looked away for a second before he shook his head. 

“Was everything a scheme?” he asked and took another sip of his coffee but this time he didn't place the mug back on the table, he held it in his hand and wrapped his fingers around it as if to soak up the warmth. “Was everything just a game for you?” 

“What do you mean?” Bobbi asked and Clint took a deep breath before he looked at her again. 

“I know that there never was the tug but... we lived together for years, we had... we had...” he swallowed, “We had sex.” Clint couldn't suppress a slight shudder. “Was anything of it real?” 

“That doesn't matter now, does it? I mean...” she started but with a harsh gesture Clint interrupted her. 

“Tell me!” He demanded and slammed his mug down on the table. The other guests glared at him, some shook their heads and started to whisper. “I know that your _great revelation_ about us being soul mates was a scheme but I... I liked you.” He glared at her and then, when he saw her expression he added, “Well, at first.” 

She didn't need to answer, he could see it in her face. Yes, it wasn't imagination when he had thought she looked at him as if he was something disgusting. 

“You've been my mission, Barton,” she said coldly and it made Clint's blood run cold. Barton. Not Clint. 

“Your mission. So, nothing of this was real? Then why are you so reluctant to make a clean cut and we never have to meet again?” He leaned forward, provocative, but she just raised her brow again. 

“How often do I have to say this? I am not going to break the bond. No one breaks a bond. People don't do that.” She waved the waiter over to her table. 

“You worry about what _people_ are going to say when they learn that you broke your bond? Maybe you should worry what they will say when they learn that you weaved a bond despite the fact that you knew that it's not with your soul mate?” He hissed and Bobbi pressed her lips together The waiter came to their table and she told him that she wanted to pay. But apparently he had heard his last sentence because he stared at Bobbi with wide, shocked eyes. 

“Are you trying to embarrass me, Barton?” she snarled when the young man disappeared after Bobbi glared angrily at him. 

“No. I want to get out of that damn bond with you to be with the man who's meant for me. You've had your chance and it's not my fault that your true soul mate died shortly after you weaving the bond,” he hissed and leaned over so that not all the people sitting around them and staring in their direction could hear him. “You accept to break the bond, or...” 

“Or what? Are you trying to threaten me? That won't work,” Bobbi spat and Clint slammed his hand on the table in frustration. Once more the other guests stared at them and the waiter fiddled nervously with his pen and deliberated if he should come over and throw them out or if he should ignore them. 

“What's wrong with you?” Clint couldn't help himself, he shook his head when he watched her. “Are you so selfish that you can't stand the fact that I have the chance to be happy with Tony just because your soul mate died?” He didn't realize that he had raised his voice, only when Bobbi shushed him with an angry hiss and her finger over her lips he realized that not only the people around them but all of them looked in their direction now. And Clint could see that they've started to whisper and put their heads together.

“I don't care, Bobbi. I had to grapple with you far too long and now I want to get rid of you. Once and for all. You accept to break the bond or you will regret that you've accepted this _mission_.” 

“I've told you, you can't threaten me, not even with your little Avengers gang. I've been in the Savage Land, I've seen _real_ threats,” she spat now and apparently she didn't care anymore if the people around them could hear them, she didn't lower her voice anymore. “I will not break our bond. Period.” She rose, grabbed her purse and fumbled for her wallet, threw a few bills onto the table before she stormed out of the cafe and when an elderly man didn't jump out of her way fast enough she snarled at him as well. Clint pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. But then he emptied his mug, added the money for it on the table and left. 

 

 

The press had a field day. Someone had leaked that Clint was bonded and that he wanted to break his bond. Maybe he wasn't the most recognizable Avenger but people _did_ recognize him. Probably one of the guys in in the cafe had talked to he press and everything spiraled out of control. 

It didn't take long and Avengers related websites nearly broke down, news websites actually broke down, it was everywhere in the news on TV and radio and even more journalists than usual lurked outside of Stark Tower and tried to get a statement. Pepper went down to talk to them, tried to appease them. They nearly trampled her down. 

The next day all the newspapers had it on their headlines. One of the Avengers, a hero, a person considered a role model, someone to look up to wanted to do something so disgraceful. And then there was the yellow press. 'Cheating scumbag' was the nicest thing they called him. He couldn't leave the tower through the front door and even at the secured delivery entrance lurked a few of them. When he left with a car they surrounded him and it was nearly impossible to drive without killing one of them. 

Two days after the press found out about him and Bobbi and that he wanted to break the bond a few more people appeared outside. Protesters. Some of them were members of the Eastborough Protestant Church, fanatic traditionalists who believed in the sacredness of a soul bond. The moderates stood there with their signs but the more aggressive ones threw stones and eggs and old salad and tomatoes at the tower or at Clint's car when he tried to leave. Then there were a few guys from other religious organizations and they chanted for Bobbi's soul because of course he, Clint, was the bad guy in this farce. 

On the other side were a few guys with signs from liberal groups. Most of their signs said things like 'My soul belongs to me' or 'I decide about my soul'. 

It didn't take long and the two groups started to yell at each other and started to throw things at themselves but as soon as one of the Avengers – or Clint himself – left the tower one group started to cheer and the other one to yell and throw things at them.

Fury didn't show his face. And Clint knew the reason. He was pretty sure the moment he would enter the tower Tony would put on his suit, would fly him out and over the ocean and let him drop. Tony was so angry at the press, at the protesters but mainly at Fury. He had called SHIELD but Fury's assistant had told him that the director wasn't available. Tony had the theory that he hid in his office because he was afraid what he, what the Avengers would do to him but Clint and Natasha knew that he sure as hell would have to deal with the same shitstorm – minus the protesters – right now. 

No one knew who had told them but somehow the press and the people out on the streets found out about Clint and Tony and then they included Tony as well. The press dug around in his past, found out that he had more than one relationship with people who weren't his soul mates. They ignored the fact that the other part of said relationships hadn't found their soul mate as well at this point and that they didn't weave a bond, just had casual relationships, went out, had sex, enjoyed life together. It was nothing serious and – in more than one case – the moment Tony's partners had found their true soul mate it was _him_ who quit the relationship for them to be with the person they were meant for.

No, in the press's eyes it was Tony's fault that Clint wanted to break his bond with Bobbi. They made people believe Bobbi was Clint's true soul mate and Tony did take him away from her. Once again, Pepper went down and tried to talk to them, tried to explain that in fact Clint and Tony were soul mates and that Clint was forced in a bond with Bobbi but they didn't want to hear that. A few of the more serious news stations, papers and websites of course covered this aspect of their relationship but in the yellow press it simply was more promotional when Tony tried to steal a bond mate out of an intact soul bond. 

It took Cap and Thor and the threat of Hulk that Tony stepped down from his suit when he wanted to fly down and fry a few of them and then fly to SHIELD to kill Fury all in one go. 

 

 

“I'm sorry,” Clint murmured quietly when he and Tony had a quiet moment without someone yelling at them or wanting something. They sat in the living room of the penthouse and Tony had blackened the windows because the helicopters of some TV stations flew around the tower and tried to film them in here. Clint sat on the couch, his legs beside him, drawn up to his body and Tony had his arm around him. He had his head against his chest, his ARC reactor and Tony caressed his head.

“It's not your fault,” he said and kissed his hair. 

“It is. I went into the cafe and tried to talk some sense into her and...” 

“They would've found out sooner or later, Clint. It wasn't your fault. If Agent Morse would've agreed to break the bond long time ago nothing of this would happen right now, so, technically it's her fault.” 

“But...” Clint started but Tony cut him short.

“No. We're in this together. We handle this together and honestly, I don't give a flying fuck what the press says. They told so much lies about my life, I never expected them to tell the truth for one time. I know that I want to be with you and anything else is irrelevant.” Tony petted Clint's hair and he felt the younger man relax slightly. 

“Will this ever end?” Clint asked and Tony nodded. 

“Yes, we find a solution. I promise.” Clint looked up at him and nodded.

“I know. I believe you.” He leaned up and touched Tony's lips with his.


	8. Chapter 8

**The unnatural bond** (by Dr. Cynthia Willis)

published in New York Times, Aug. 10, 2014

 

Dr. Cynthia Willis, psychologist and one of the leading experts in soul bonds, had had the opportunity to speak to Clint Barton and Tony Stark three days ago.

 

In the last several weeks, the news has been all over the media: Avenger Clint 'Hawkeye' Barton wants to break his bond to be with fellow Avenger Tony 'Iron Man' Stark.

We all know that it is unusual to break a bond. In the last five years, there have been only 134 known cases worldwide. Why is this case so exceptional? Because the two are so well known? Or is it because Clint Barton claims to have been tricked into a bond with his current bond mate Barbara Morse?

To understand why it is absolutely necessary to break this bond, it is necessary to explain a few things first.

It is not _impossible_ to tie two souls together that are not meant to be together, but it is not a _natural_ bond. Both souls can be badly hurt. A natural bond should only tie the two halves of a soul together that are meant for each other.

Not many people know this, but in all soul bonds, one soul is stronger than the other. This soul is called the Alpha soul. This does not mean that it is superior to the other part; it is just the stronger soul. The other soul in the bond is called the Omega soul. It is not minor; it is just not as strong as the Alpha soul.

Everything a person does, hears, feels, endures has an influence on their soul. Positive things make a soul strong, negative things weaken it. If a person is loved by their parents, has friends and people around them, if they have success in school or at work, this can strengthen a soul. If a person gets beaten or abused by their parents, if they have to deal with loss and things like that, that weakens the soul.

So, if two soul mates feel the tug and they touch their souls try to connect to get whole, they recognize each other because they are both part of the same soul. And then, when they are actually tied together, they balance each other and the two people are as close as only true soul mates can be.

But if a bond is woven between two souls that are not meant to be together, the two souls do not recognize each other and they cannot balance each other. As a result, the two souls end up hurting each other. It is not a fast process but in the end both persons suffer. The Alpha soul can withstand the negative influences of the improper bond longer before it starts showing damage, but the Omega soul starts to wither almost immediately and when it is too weak to survive anymore, it dies.

It is nothing one wants to see. There are two options. Either the person gets depressed, sad, cannot find the strength to move or do anything anymore, they cloister themselves away and most of them commit suicide before they die a “natural death”. The other option is that the person turns violent, malicious, vicious, and cruel. They start to harm other people and it is a known fact that all the most violent serial killers did not have their soul anymore because it died. It is true, the second option is seldom but there always is a chance for it.

It is also true that it _is_ possible to have a situation where weaving bonds between two people who are not soul mates works out well, but it _is_ hard work, much more so than a natural bond. There has to be the groundwork of a strong love between the two of them, and the commitment to work through all of the issues that occur in any relationship, but without the benefit of a constant positive reinforcement that exists naturally in a natural bond. If they can make it work, then the two souls, even if they are not meant to be tied together, can support each other, can give each other the strength they need to survive. But the key words are _strong love_ and _hard work_. If at the very start of the bond the pair does not love each other, the bond is doomed to fail and it is better to break a bond like this as soon as possible.

The problem is that people in our society believe that only true soul mates can weave a bond. Very rarely, people who are not soul mates do weave a bond as well for their own reasons. True soul mates would never have the desire to break the bond, but in cases where the bond is not natural, it is still possible to want to break the bond and separate from the other person. When people who are not soul mates have a woven bond and it does not work out, why not break it? Simply because it is taboo, it is frowned upon, it is _scandalous_ , but no one cares if the bond is hurting the bond mates. _People do not break a bond; it is something that's just simply not done_. That is what we always hear, and rarely does anyone look beyond that.

But honestly, how can a thinking person think that it is better to force two people to suffer and live a lie when the solution is safer, both for the couple and for society? It should not be shameful to break a bond when it is apparent that both are hurting, yet in our society, anyone with a broken bond immediately becomes a pariah. True, it is not common, it is in fact very rare, but it does happen and we should not look down on them just because they wanted to save themselves, just because they wanted to save their souls from damage. Is this wrong? No, it is not.

A person's soul is unique and to survive, it needs positive influences both from its owner, and from society. It craves its natural mate to be complete, to be whole and balanced. A soul can take only so much pain before it starts withering. We do not live in the dark ages anymore; we do not have to speculate about souls anymore. We can, and do, examine souls. We know about the importance of good influences on the souls and we know about the negative effects of bad influences. A forced bond can be one of the most negative effects on a soul and, if not correctly supported, can actively harm both souls. In this case, this forced bond is a bond that needs to be broken as soon as possible to save _both_ souls.

So, what happens, when two true soul mates weave a bond and one of the bond mates dies? The tug subsides and usually disappears completely after a year. The soul who has experienced completion with its counterpart has a few coping mechanisms. Not all of them are desirable. The most common is that the soul encapsulates a part of their true soul mate's soul and the survivor manages to live on after a period of grief. In rare cases, a soul cannot hold the part of the deceased soul mate’s soul and the surviving soul mate becomes depressed or develops other psychological problems. Some of them commit suicide, some die of broken heart, some become misanthropic, some become cruel; we have all heard of those. But these cases are very rare. In the most rare of cases, the survivor's soul dies as well, which results in the effect I already listed.

I have had the opportunity to speak with Clint Barton and with Tony Stark and I have received permission to talk about their situation. They want the people to understand.

It has been confirmed that Mr. Barton grew up in an environment of hate, abuse and neglect. His father was an alcoholic who beat his wife as well as his children. When Mr. Barton was six, his father and mother were killed in a car crash; his father was driving drunk at the time. As they had no relatives willing to take them in, Mr. Barton and his brother were sent to an orphanage. Together and individually, they went through several foster families, but in the end they were always returned to the orphanage, a situation that was filled with neglect from the adults and, frequently, abuse and violence from the other children. He has never had anything that could be called a decent family life. All these negative influences have hurt his soul, it had become very damaged.

When Agent Morse, his current bond mate, told him that she could feel the tug, he believed her because, with his damaged soul, he could not ascertain if it was true or not. Later, he found out that it could not be true because Agent Morse had lost her true soul mate years ago. He was tricked into a bond that was never supposed to exist.

Since Agent Morse has refused to speak to me I can only assume that she is one of the rare cases where the surviving soul cannot hold onto part of their soul mate when they die. This is supported by the testimony that has been given by several of her colleagues; all of them are unanimous in their opinions that she had become hard and relentless after her soul mate's death. As you can see, Clint Barton's soul was subjected once more to an environment of hate and neglect.

All of us that have found their soul mate already know how powerful the first contact with a true soul mate is. But when Mr. Barton met Tony Stark, his true soul mate, the expected reaction was weak. We all know that when we meet our soul mate and we touch them we get flooded with sensations and it is overwhelming. Mr. Barton explained the feeling he had to me and I can only describe it as a _poor copy of the real thing_.

I have examined him and his soul and found that his soul is still dangerously damaged, but the contact with his true soul mate and the positive influences of his new friends is starting to strengthen it already. But it is still absolutely essential to break the bond with his bond mate and to weave the bond with his true soul mate to save him and to save his soul. In addition, it is not only Mr. Barton that suffers; his true soul mate, Mr. Stark, is suffering as well, largely because our society is so hostile to people who want to break a bond, even if it is a bond that is not supposed to exist.

We, as parts of this society, need to rethink our opinions. It is **not** wrong to break a bond and we should not look down at people who did it. We do not know all the reasons why people want to break a bond, we only should keep in mind that in a healthy and supporting soul bond the bond mates would not even want to break it. When people see the need to break a bond, they usually have one or more serious reasons and then it is not our place to frown upon them. No, we should support them in their decision and help them. And we, as a part of this society, should not frown upon the two men that helped to save us. Now it is our job to help and support _them._

CW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is revised by Narshalla! Thanks a lot!! :D


	9. Chapter 9

Clint put the StarkPad down when he heard the elevator arrive. He looked up and saw Colonel James Rhodes arrive, together with a tall, beautiful, African-American woman, Dr. Willis. 

“Hello, Clint,” she smiled and waved and he rose to greet them properly. 

“Hi,” he said and nodded at Colonel Rhodes. “Tony will be here, soon.” He knew that JARVIS would tell him that they arrived.

“Okay, then we wait,” Rhodes said and Clint pointed at the couch.

“Take a seat. You want something to drink?” he asked and both shook their heads. 

“No, thanks,” Dr. Willis said and sat down in the armchair she had used before when she was here to speak with him and Tony. 

“I've just read your article,” he gestured at the StarkPad and sat down as well. 

“Do you like it?” She asked and Clint nodded. Pepper read it before it went into print and she wouldn't have given her approval if it hadn't been okay. 

“It's great. Thanks.” 

They could hear the elevator again and Pepper as well as Tony arrived, talking about something Stark Industries related. Apparently Pepper wasn't happy about this something but when Tony looked up and saw Dr. Willis and Colonel Rhodes his face lit up. 

“Dr. Willis, Rhodey,” he smiled and came over to them, shook Dr. Willis' hand and patted Rhodes' shoulder. He sat down beside Clint and instinctively wrapped his arm around his waist. Clint couldn't help himself but smile. Pepper took the other armchair and folded her legs.

“Director Fury called my office this morning,” Dr. Willis said. “He had ordered Agent Morse to visit me and maybe I can convince her to break the bond.” 

“Really?” Clint blurted out, then cleared his throat when he realized that his voice sounded a little squeaky. “He did that?” 

“Yes, he did. The article won't change the way people think immediately but the seed of self-reflection can grow now. A few more papers have asked to get the permission to print the article and I've agreed. I thought, the more people start to think the better. I hope it's okay with you?” 

“Yeah, definitely!” Clint nodded and squeezed Tony's hand and he saw the other man nod as well and smile. 

“How did he sound? Fury?” Tony asked and Dr. Willis snorted slightly. 

“He was far from pleased and I had the feeling that he had to concentrate to not yell at me. He implied that he would rip of your heads the next time he sees you, though,” she said and Tony just raised one brow. 

“Did he say anything about Bobbi's reaction?” Clint asked carefully and Dr. Willis shook her head.

“No. He just said, that she would come to see me. But after all you've told me I'm pretty sure that she wasn't pleased as well. I'm going to talk to her and I'm going to explain her the dangers of her actions and how this bond would harm her as well as it has harmed you already. You know that I can't guarantee that she will accept but I'll give my best.” She said and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees and watched the two men opposite of her. 

“And there isn't another option?” A voice from behind asked. She turned to see Natasha enter the living room. 

“What do you mean? Clint can't break the bond alone. Both souls need to – well – get attuned to be able to let go. But both of them need to actively participate.” 

“That wasn't what I meant,” Natasha said, a strange tone in her voice and Tony looked at Clint, his brows furrowed. 

“No!” Clint said, maybe a little bit too harsh because now Colonel Rhodes and Dr. Willis looked at him with the same strange glances in their faces but apparently only Rhodes _understood_ what Natasha had implied. “That's not an option,” he added and Natasha shrugged and went behind the bar, grabbed a glass and a bottle of vodka, went around to sit on one of the chairs and filled the glass only to empty it in one large sip. 

“It was just an idea,” she said, shrugged again and drank another vodka. 

“I... I don't...” Dr. Willis looked from Clint to Natasha and then to Rhodes and Tony but Clint interrupted her.

“Sorry, Doc, but ignore that.” He said and threw an angry glare in Natasha's direction. Yes, right now he would admit that he hated Bobbi but he wouldn't let Natasha kill her. 

“Do you think you can convince her?” Tony asked instead and Dr. Willis sighed and nodded slowly. 

“Yes, I think I can. I mean after all what I've heard about her she's an intelligent woman and she'll understand that she not only harms you but herself as well.” She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and cocked her head when she heard Natasha snort. 

“Bobbi is vengeful, you know? I'm pretty sure she _would_ risk to harm herself just to prove her point,” she explained and Clint heard Pepper inhale audibly. 

“But this doesn't make sense,” Colonel Rhodes threw in. “Even if she'd only accepted to form a bond with Clint because Fury commanded her to do it she has to have some sort of self-preservation drive.” 

“She can't be so vengeful to risk her own health, can she?” Dr. Willis asked and looked at the others. They stayed quiet. Maybe a few seconds too long and that told her more than words could have. 

“You'd be surprised,” Natasha muttered under her breath and emptied another glass of vodka when both, Rhodes and Willis looked in her direction. 

“Natasha, this...” Clint started but the redhead shook her head now and rose. 

“No, it's true, Clint. Let's be honest. She's self-destructive since she lost her true soul mate and she hates you because she's tied to you now. Apparently it doesn't matter that it was Fury's idea, she hates you. And only god knows why she doesn't agree to break the bond.” 

“Hate is a really strong word,” Pepper threw in but she shut her mouth when Natasha glared at her. 

“Have you ever asked Clint about his relationship with her?” Natasha spat and went over to them.

“Nat, please...” Clint tried but she shook her head angrily and continued.

“No, it's enough. Have you ever asked him why he slept in the study on a ratty couch instead of his own bed? Have you ever asked him what Bobbi had done when she was really angry? Have you ever asked him about his so called sex life?” 

“Natasha!” Clint rose as well. 

“I won't let her harm you. You're my best friend, Clint. You're the only real family I've ever had and if she doesn't agree to break the bond _I_ will make her.” Natasha stated with an angry glare and left the room. 

“And I'm going to help her,” Tony murmured when he heard a door slam shut. 

Dr. Willis looked at Rhodes and the awkwardness was nearly palpable. 

“Yeah...” Rhodes said and looked around. 

“I think it's better when we go now.” Dr. Willis said. She sensed that Clint and Tony needed to talk. Rhodes nodded and both got up. Pepper rose as well. 

“I'll see you later, Tony. Don't forget the meeting in two hours,” she said. 

“Of course,” Tony came over to them to say goodbye to Dr. Willis.

“Can you please call us when you've talked to Agent Morse?” He asked and accompanied them to the elevators. Clint stayed on the couch and watched them leaving. He was still too shocked that Natasha wouldn't have a problem to kill Bobbi. Of course he knew that Natasha was an assassin like himself but to kill her for _him_? And she had said that he was her family. She never talked about something like that. 

“A penny for your thoughts,” Tony said when he came back and sat down beside him again. 

“Nat would kill her.” Clint stated and Tony wrapped an arm around his waist. He kissed Clint's cheek.

“I know.” His voice was as no-nonsense as Natasha's. “And I would help her. I meant it.” 

“No. I don't want you to do anything to her. Do you understand me?” He shifted around beside him. “Tony, promise me that you won't do anything to her.” 

“What did Natasha mean when she said we should ask you about your life with her?” Tony changed the topic but the strange expression he had on his face didn't disappear.

“It wasn't sunshine and roses and I've told you. But...” Clint said but Tony shook his head.

“No. I want the truth. If you want me to stay away from her I want you to tell the truth. Did she hurt you?” 

“No. She... she wasn't nice. And I _have_ told you.” Clint looked up to Tony and he saw the worry in his face. 

“Yes, you have told me. But now it seems as if you haven't told everything. Clint, I love you. With my whole heart and soul,” he said and took his hands. “And I want you to be happy. If she hurt you I want to know. Please.” 

“I could've stopped her. At any point, Tony. But when I let her she was... I don't know, it's hard to explain.” Clint pressed his lips tight together and looked away. “She was different afterwards, you know? She was... nearly as she used to be when I met her.” 

“Are we talking about sex or beatings now?” Tony asked and Clint shrugged. “Both?” He nodded.

“Oh, Clint.” Tony wrapped his arm around him and Clint put his head on his shoulder. 

“I hate her, Tony. Really. When I met her I liked her, she was nice and sexy and all this, but now... now the only thing I feel is hate when I think about her. But I don't want you – or Natasha – to harm her. I don't want you to place yourself on the same level as her. I don't want you to act like her, to get into trouble just because of her.” 

“If you insist. I can't speak for Natasha but if you insist I promise that I won't do anything to her. Unless...” Clint moved back and stared at him. “Unless she hurts you.” 

“Tony, no...” He shook his head and grabbed his hands again.

“When you get harmed because she doesn't agree to break the bond, Clint, then I'm going to hurt her more than I've hurt anyone ever before.” 

“Don't...” Clint shook his head again.

“Let's see if Dr. Willis can convince her.” Tony kissed the corner of Clint's mouth. 

Clint looked at Tony for a long moment. He knew that this topic wasn't solved. Not by far. His soul wasn't strong enough to actually receive – feel – Tony's emotions but he knew that Tony meant what he had said. 

“I love you, too, Tony. With my whole heart and the sorry excuse for a soul I have,” Clint murmured and Tony huffed a laugh, wrapped his arms around him once more and pulled him over to him again. 

“There's a reason why Dr. Willis is one of the leading experts in soul bonds in this country. She's good. She'll convince her. I'm sure,” Tony said but Clint heard that he wasn't as convinced as he told him. But for now that was everything he would get. The hope that Bobbi would eventually agree to break the bond, to give him free. _Hope dies last, Clint_. He looked up to Tony, smiled, and kissed him.


	10. Chapter 10

“Thank you for coming, Agent Morse,” Cynthia said smiling when she opened the door. The younger woman nodded and entered her office. 

“It wasn't my choice, it was a direct order and Director Fury made it quite plain that it's the only option if I want to stay with SHIELD,” she said and Cynthia nodded slowly. 

“I understand,” she said and led her to the sitting area, gestured at one of the armchairs and sat down in the other one. 

Reluctantly Agent Morse sat down, crossed her legs and placed her hands on the armrests. Her face was bland and expressionless. 

“You know why you are here?” Cynthia asked and Agent Morse nodded. 

“I'm here so you can try to convince me to break my bond,” she stated matter-of-factly, her expression didn't give away the slightest information. 

“No, I'm here to talk to you about the consequences of your decisions,” Cynthia explained. 

“The consequences of my decisions?” Agent Morse asked and squinted her eyes. 

“Yes. Agent Morse, you know that I've read your file, right?” She asked and when the other woman nodded she licked her lips for a moment before she continued. 

“You've met your soul mate with sixteen. Do you want to tell me about him?” Cynthia asked and Agent Morse pursed her lips and cocked her head.

“Actually, no. I don't want to talk to you about him. But I guess it wasn't a polite question, am I right?” She drummed her fingers on the armrest and Cynthia saw that she didn't feel well right now. She was sure that Agent Morse wanted to be everywhere but not here.

“I don't know what exactly Director Fury had told you...” she started but Agent Morse interrupted her with a snort.

“He said I have to cooperate,” she explained when Cynthia furrowed her brows.

“I don't want to phrase it as a command, Agent Morse. I just want to talk to you,” Cynthia said and when the other woman raised a brow she added, “For now.” 

“I don't want to talk to you about Daniel. What happened to him has nothing to do with this now,” Morse spat. She folded her arms in front of her chest and Cynthia took a deep breath. This wasn't going to be easy.

“But it does, Agent Morse. Everything that happens now has to do with your soul mate. That's the problem, do you understand that?” Cynthia, who had her legs crossed, placed her hands on her knees and leaned back. She chose this position deliberately to appear relaxed and non-threateningly. Agent Morse was tense enough as it was. 

“Did you read the article in the New York Times?” Cynthia asked after a few moments of quietness. 

“Yes. But I think it's crap,” Agent Morse said, eying her if she'd take the bait. 

“Why do you think it's _crap_?” Cynthia asked instead of defending herself and her article.

“Honestly? This... bullshit about natural and unnatural bonds?” 

“Well, that are the terms used by experts. I know that people usually don't use these terms. Most of them don't even know that they are exist,” Cynthia said and nodded slowly. She carefully watched the woman opposite of her. But Morse kept quiet and seemed to wait for her to say something. 

“Agent Morse, you've read the article. I couldn't explain it in the last detail, but this bond between you and Agent Barton is dangerous for both of you.” Cynthia sighed inwardly but kept her composure otherwise. 

“You've said that it's possible that bonds between people, who aren't soul mates, can work. We can make it work. I don't want to break this bond, I've told you.” Morse folded her arms now in front of her chest and the hard glare told her more than all her words could've. 

“Do you love Agent Barton?” Cynthia asked now straightforward. Agent Morse pressed her lips tight together and once again, this small gesture spoke louder than words. “Do you care for him?” She added and Morse looked away now. 

“Listen, Dr. Willis, I...” she started, stopped herself and shook her head. 

“Agent Morse, your soul is connected to Agent Barton's. I've asked you to tell me about your soul mate because that was a bond as it should be. You remember the feeling of completeness every singe day, am I right?” When Agent Morse nodded she continued. “But you miss this feeling between you and Agent Barton. It is possible to achieve a certain level of this connection, this completeness if, and that's a big if in capital letters, if you both love each other, if you both care for each other, if you both work on this relationship. It's easy to be together with someone, who's not meant for you, if you don't tie your souls together but _when_ they are bonded...” Cynthia stopped and this time she leaned forward. 

“Do you know how a soul bond works?” she asked and Agent Morse nodded, then shrugged.

“In theory. You know, the stuff we learn in high school,” she admitted and Cynthia sighed again inwardly. Most high schools don't waste too much time to explain properly how a soul bond works, they just explain the basics.

“As easy as it is to bond two souls together, Agent Morse, it's far-reaching change for both partners,” she leaned forward and intertwined the fingers of both her hands to illustrate what she wanted to say. “Your souls are locked together.” She moved both hands to the sides but didn't open the fingers. “What happens to one of you, happens to the other as well. Maybe not to the same extent but nevertheless, it happens. Do you understand what I try to tell you, Agent Morse?” 

“You want to say, that, as long as Clint and I are bonded, everything that happens to him will happen to me, right?” 

“Yes, that's right. The effect is attenuated but it _will_ have an effect on you as well. It's like... like an airbag. What happens to Agent Barton will influence his soul to the full extent but yours is affected, too. When you have an accident with a car the airbag will take most of the impact but you still get thrown into it. If the accident wasn't too bad you get out unharmed but sometimes you still get hurt.” Cynthia leaned back. “And it works with good influences as well as with bad influences. If something good happens to Agent Barton you benefit from it, if something bad happens... well...” 

“I can't break the bond, Dr. Willis,” Agent Morse whispered and closed her eyes. “I... I can't...” 

“You have to. If you want to get better then you need to break the bond. It's nothing to be ashamed of.” Cynthia rose, walked over to her desk and fetched the file Director Fury had given him. When she came back she took a sheet of paper out of the file, handed it to Agent Morse and sat down again, put the rest of the file onto the end table beside her armchair and crossed her legs. She waited while the other woman looked at the paper and when she turned her gaze to her, Cynthia, she seemed confused.

“What is that?” Agent Morse asked and held the paper questioningly in her hand. 

“That's a part of your personnel record. Director Fury gave it to me. I know, that it's mandatory for SHIELD agents to visit a _shrink_ at least every six months. I don't have the rest of your file, don't worry, just Dr. Matthew's reports.” 

Agent Morse once more looked at the paper, read it and then pursed her lips when she looked up again. 

“What is this about?” She asked. 

“Sixty-two years ago the doctors Perry and Gilroy made a breakthrough in their research about soul bonds. Before they published their results most of our knowledge about soul mates and soul bonds was mostly guessing. These two men found a method to measure the strength of a soul, the health of a soul. It was incredible. Suddenly we could actually study souls and soul bonds scientifically.” 

“Why do you tell me all this?” Agent Morse interrupted her and waved the paper in her hand around. 

“Look at the page, Agent Morse. There's a curve diagram on it. That's the diagrammatic representation of your soul's current health state. Do you see that the graph is decreasing?” 

Agent Morse looked up, her brows furrowed. Cynthia took the file again, handed her a second sheet of paper and she watched her read it as well. 

“The graph on this one is nearly zero,” Morse said and looked up again. 

“Yes. Your current status is twenty-eight, the status on the other one is seven. Do you know who's record it is?” Cynthia asked quietly.

“Is this Clint's?” Agent Morse locked eyes with her and swallowed when Cynthia nodded. 

“Yes.” She opened the file for the third time and handed her another paper.

“Who's record is this?” She looked up again and locked her eyes with Cynthia's.

“That's mine. As you can see, the health status of my soul is forty-seven. Together with my soul mates fifty-one we are close to one hundred.”

“I don't understand,” Agent Morse admitted and handed all the papers back. Of course she doesn't. These things are not taught in school. 

“Perry and Gilroy managed to measure the strength of a soul for the first time. They invented their scale, the PG-scale. I know, not very creative, but it's helpful. In a healthy, supporting soul bond, both souls are moving around 100 PGs. That means, a healthy soul without a bond is moving around fifty PGs.” 

“And mine is down to twenty-eight,” Agent Morse murmured. “What happens when it reaches zero?” She looked up and this time with a slight hint of concern in her face.

“The soul dies.” Agent Morse paled. She looked at her for a very long moment, deliberating and thinking, Cynthia could see it. But she didn't interrupt her, just waited for her to talk again.

“What happens, when I'm bonded to Clint and his soul dies? His status is seven... PGs?” 

“You've been in a soul bond before and it was with your true soul mate. You said you've read my article and so you know, that usually, when one of the partners dies, the other partner's soul encapsulates, so to speak, a tiny part of the other soul and keeps it. In this case, the soul stay's healthy and balanced. Of course it needs time to grief, time to heal but it will happen and the soul can live on,” she took Morse's record again and handed it back. “If this had happened with you, then this graph,” she pointed at another diagram, “would show it. But as it seems, your soul wasn't able to hold your soul mate's essence. Your soul was hurt and then you tied it to Agent Barton's soul and his was even more damaged. Both your souls need positive reinforcement to heal. But that's not possible as long as they are tied together,” Cynthia stopped for a second and waited for the other woman to nod. “Both your souls spiral downwards and Agent Barton's is heavily damaged. I don't want to know what happens, when your soul has to endure the fall-out when his soul dies. It's... I've never had a case like this, Agent Morse, believe me.”

Cynthia rose, walked over to her bookshelf and searched for a book. She had a few copies left and took one to hand it over to Agent Morse. 

“The dead souls,” she read the title and then she looked up. “You've written it?” 

“Yes, together with Dr. Wade Moffett. We've researched people whose souls died. You can keep it. Read it, Agent Morse. Maybe you want to know what will happen to you if you don't break this bond as soon as possible.” 

“You didn't write any of this in your article,” Agent Morse mentioned and pursed her lips. 

“No. People wouldn't understand it. You know what you've learned in school. Do you think people want to know about all the possible dangers a soul bond actually contains?” 

“No, probably not,” she smiled and Cynthia gave herself a pat on the back. She knew that she had her now. 

“Don't get me wrong, Agent Morse. What we're talking about, the dangers of soul bonds, are usually – and I mean in 99.99 percent of all cases – really minimal. But they are there. To tie two souls together, even if they are meant to be together, if they are designated to be together, is a huge step.” 

On her end table she had two glasses and a carafe with water. She filled both glasses up to the half, took them in her hands and showed them to Agent Morse. 

“Each one of this glasses represents a soul and when you tie them,” she poured the water from one glass into the other, “then they are really bonded. Can you try to separate them again completely?” 

Agent Morse paled. 

“You mean, even _if_ I break the bond with Clint right now there will always be parts of his soul intermingled with mine?” Her eyes were so wide and she seemed concerned.

“Yes, but don't worry. When you break the bond, what you keep is entirely yours,” she poured water from the filled glass back into the empty one and this time she handed it to Agent Morse. The other woman looked at the glass in her hand. 

“But you need to decide quickly, Agent Morse. It's getting critical for Agent Barton.” Cynthia placed the glass on the end table, leaned back an once again let her think. 

“I know,” she whispered after a few minutes and put her glass beside Cynthia's. “I know,” she repeated. 

“Agent Morse, can you answer one question honestly? Not for me, for you.” Cynthia asked and the other woman nodded after a long moment.

“What do you feel for Agent Barton?” Agent Morse leaned back and pressed her lips together. Once more she remained silent for some time but then she sighed.

“I... I liked him. Not at first. My first impression was that he was just another hick who's able to shoot straight. But then... I really liked him. He was funny, witty, not bad-looking and... do you know that he's a brilliant tactician? He's not as dumb as he always pretends to be.” 

“Why did you agree to weave a bond? Even if you never learned the dangers of an unnatural bond in the school you know that a bond between two people that aren't soul mates is difficult to put it mildly. I'm pretty sure that you could've declined Fury's order.” Cynthia cocked her head when Agent Morse sighed and nodded. 

“Yes, I could've. But...” she cast her eyes down and the next part was barely audible. “I was so alone. And he was nice.” She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “You've said you are bonded, Dr. Willis, right?” 

“Yes, that's true.” Cynthia nodded and crossed her legs again. 

“This feeling... to be connected to someone so intimately, to feel what he feels, the knowledge that you don't need to talk and he understands you... would you want to miss it?” 

“No. I cannot imagine to be without him,” Cynthia admitted. She knew what Agent Morse wanted to say.

“I miss Daniel every second of my life. Every single second. I... I hoped that... maybe...” she stopped, licked her lips, “I knew that this bond with Clint would never be the same as it was with Daniel. I knew that. But I hoped...” she trailed off. 

“You missed the connection and you thought another bond could fill the gap. But it wasn't the same. It was different. You didn't feel the tug. You couldn't feel Agent Barton the same way you could feel Daniel.” Morse nodded. 

“What did you feel with him?” Cynthia asked and watched every reaction very carefully.

“Nothing. I mean, I knew there was the bond, I could feel _that_ but the connection wasn't there. I've tried to ignore it, tried to do what Fury wanted but the longer I was with Clint the more it...” she stopped, licked her lips, “Anger. That was, what I felt. With Daniel... it was simply perfect and Clint? Nothing. I could feel nothing and... It made me angry.” Cynthia nodded. Clint had told her that Agent Morse had had this anger problem and that she sometimes, when she couldn't control herself, had beaten him or that she had used sex to hurt him. “It was this emptiness. Can you understand that?” She asked and Cynthia nodded. An unnatural bond could only work when both partners loved each other. Everyone thought love without being soul mates wasn't possible, but that's wrong. Love was the key to each and every bond, love filled the bond and it was all the more intense with true soul mates. And in an unnatural bond it was the most important factor. Without love it wouldn't work. And that was Agent Morse's problem. She liked Agent Barton, but that wasn't enough. 

“Yes, I do,” she said and nodded. 

Agent Morse sat still for nearly five minutes, didn't talk, didn't move, just stared at the floor before she rose, grabbed the book and then looked at her again.

“Thanks for your time,” she said and when Cynthia rose as well, she shook her hand, took the three medical records as well and left without another word.


	11. Chapter 11

Three days later Tony was in a board of SI directors' meeting, one he couldn't skip according to Pepper, when he got a message from Dr. Willis. It was only a short text that he should call her as soon as possible. And from that moment on the damn meeting seemed to slow down. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination because of the message or if the board members could sense that he wanted nothing more than to leave and started stalling deliberately. He stared at the wall clock and frowned. It seemed that the second hand moved two seconds forward and one back. But now he was sure that _that_ definitely was just his imagination. Nevertheless, he sat in this meeting, couldn't leave and now he had to listen to Marvin Rand's extraordinarily boring and long-winded report about something irrelevant. Tony had no idea what the man was talking about. He had spaced out after the first two minutes of boring blah blah blah. 

But then finally, when Pepper called it a day, he hurried over to his office, grabbed his phone and called Dr. Willis.

“Mr. Stark,” she greeted but Tony interrupted her.

“What happened?” he asked and Dr. Willis chuckled slightly. 

“I have good news but since Agent Barton is not available at the moment he said I should call you.” 

“She agreed?” He blurted out and grabbed the edge of his desk. His legs turned to jelly and he could barely stand. Could it be possible that it was over? That she let Clint go?

“Yes, Mr. Stark, she agreed. As soon as Agent Barton is back we can break the bond.” This time Tony had to sit down. 

“Really?” He asked, breathless. 

“Yes, really. Agent Morse called me this morning and said, after careful consideration, she wants to break the bond.” 

“Oh my god, I can't believe it. Is that really true?” 

“Yes, Mr. Stark. Let me know when Agent Barton is back. I know a soul bond registrar, and I can assist him. As soon as he's available we can get him out of his bond.” 

“That's... that's great. Really. I'll call you, Dr. Willis. Right when he comes through the door!” Tony realized that his hands had started to shake and he leaned back in his chair and breathed to get his heart rate back under control.

“All right, I'm awaiting your call,” he could once again hear the slight chuckle through the receiver but he didn't care right now. Everything was in a haze. Bobbi had given in, she's going to let Clint go. After more than forty years of waiting, searching, he finally could bond with his soul mate.

He hurried out of his office, went to Pepper's and when she looked up and saw his face she rose and came over to him.

“Are you okay, Tony? You're white like a ghost.” But then he couldn't hold back the grin, swooped her into a bear hug and kissed her cheek.

“Tony?” she pressed through her teeth.

“She agreed, Pep. She finally agreed,” he lifted her and danced around, the feelings of happiness so overwhelming that he couldn't not do it. 

“Really? She'll break the bond with Clint?” Pepper smiled broadly as well. 

“Yes, yes, yes. Oh my god, I can't believe that it's true. You have no idea what a load that takes off my mind.” He put her down and Pepper laughed, slightly uncomfortable with his outburst. She had never seen him like this before, he knew that. But he couldn't help himself. He was just so happy. 

“Does he know?” Pepper asked when she sat down behind her desk again and Tony shook his head.

“No, not yet. He's on a mission but I expect him back in two days. And then, then we can break the bond. Then...” _he's mine_. 

“Two days? I guess you'll be able to survive that.” She chuckled and Tony leaned back, the smile still on his face. 

“Yeah. Two days,” he nodded and then his eyes went wide. “Pepper! We need to prepare everything for the bond breaking. Do you know what we need?” 

“I have no idea but I guess Jarvis can find out if you ask him,” she said and Tony's grin broadened. 

“I've already arranged everything, sir,” they both heard the AI's voice. “As soon as Agent Barton is back you can start. And I took the liberty to inform his handler. She said he will tell him as soon as the mission objectives are achieved.”

“Thanks, J. You're the best,” he said. 

“You're welcome, sir.” The AI sounded pleased.

Two days. Yes, he could manage that. 

 

 

“Agent Barton?” Agent Lorne said when the debriefing was over and he wanted to leave the small conference room in their safe house. He wanted to catch up on some sleep, he hadn't slept more than four hours in the last days and he was dead tired. 

“Yeah?” he looked at her and she came over to the door where he held himself upright on the doorjamb. He held his hand over his mouth to cover the yawn.

“I have a message for you. Agent Morse agreed to break the bond. Everything his already prepared, they only need you there,” she smiled and patted his shoulder when his eyes went wide. 

“Is that true?” He blurted out and Lorne nodded. 

“Yes, it is. As soon as you're back you can be separated,” she said and when Clint started to grin she nodded. “Now, get some sleep, tomorrow we're flying back.” 

“Can we...” Clint started but Lorne shook her head.

“No, we all need sleep, you more than the others, you've been awake for nearly two days straight. We fly back as soon as possible,” she said and finally Clint gave in. 

“Okay,” he nodded. But he couldn't sleep, even if he was really exhausted. Not now, not after this good news. He rummaged through his bag for his StarkPhone. Tony made sure that no one could locate or intercept them and so he was allowed to take it with him, he only had to leave it in their base while he worked. He pressed the number one button – of course Tony was his number one – and then dial. It took only a few seconds and then he heard Tony's voice.

“Hey, Tony! It's me, Clint. I've just got the message...” 

 

 

Before they could start Dr. Willis had send him to a doctor to check him over. He had insisted that Bruce could do it but Dr. Willis wanted to take no risks and send him to a _real_ doctor and only when he had the results of his examination – he was physically in top form – she agreed and called the soul bond registrar. 

“Oh my god, I can't believe that it's finally happening,” he said when he paced in front of the registry office, already wearing the 'traditional' soul bond breaking garment. He had wondered briefly about the fact that something like this existed after all, given that it was so rare that people broke their bonds, but apparently there had been a time where it was more common. The clothes he wore were black. Plain linen pants and black button down shirt with two red stripes on the arms from shoulder to cuff and red espadrilles.

“Come on, Clint,” Tony held him, put one hand on his cheek and _forced_ him to look at him. “Calm down, it will soon be over.” He took Clint's hand with his other hand and smiled and Clint finally nodded and smiled back.

“Yeah,” he said and leaned over to kiss Tony, to calm down again. He was so nervous and giddy with excitement. “I know.” Last night Bruce had persuaded him to try a meditation with him and it had helped him a tiny bit. But now the nervousness was back full force.

“And then, in a week, we can weave our soul bond,” Tony murmured and stroked Clint's face to calm him down. They'll have to wait at least a week Dr. Willis had said, Clint's soul would need the time to recover. After all, it was a violent act to break a bond, even if it was a bond that wasn't meant to be. He would need the week and then, when the _wound_ in his soul was closed, they could weave their bond. 

“Bobbi,” he mumbled when he saw his soon-to-be ex-bond mate arrive. She glared at the two men, standing closely together, and sat down on one of the waiting chairs in front of the registry office. She wore a similar attire to Clint, all black, only her's had a skirt instead of pants and she had red espadrilles but her blouse had the same red stripes. Only a few minutes later the last three persons arrived. James Rhodes, Nick Fury and Dr. Cynthia Willis.

“What's he doing here?” Tony hissed to Rhodes when he saw Fury but it was Dr. Willis who answered.

“He's her witness,” she said and Clint's head snapped around. 

“Witness? What kind of witness? No one told me about a witness!” He said but her hand on his arm stopped him. 

“Mr. Stark is yours if you want,” she said and Clint's head turned to Tony. He nodded reassuringly. 

“I knew about the witness and I thought it would be okay that I would be yours. But if you prefer someone else...” he started.

“... then I can do it,” Rhodes finished Tony's sentence. 

“How important is a witness?” he asked and Dr. Willis took a deep breath. 

“A witness is not important, it's just easier when someone is there to assist you. You can do it completely without witness, Clint. But in your case I would suggest that Mr. Stark assists you,” she said. Clint nodded and took Tony's hand. The older man smiled again and his thumb caressed Clint's hand. 

That moment the door opened and an older man, about late fifties, with graying, brown, curly hair and a mustache, opened the door, smiled when he saw Dr. Willis and invited all of them in.

“I'm glad that you can assist me,” he said. “It's only my second bond breaking and I have to admit that I'm a little nervous,” he whispered. Clint couldn't understand him but he was versed in reading lips and even with the man's ugly mustache he could manage it. He looked up at Tony, nervous, but the genius wrapped his hand around his waist and that calmed him down again. Just a tiny bit. 

“Okay, let's start,” the registrar said and went over to his desk. “My name is Donald Eckley and we're here to break the bond, weaved between Mrs. Barbara Morse and Mr. Clinton Barton. Both of you have filed for breaking the bond. Are you still willing to continue?” Eckley read from the piece of paper he held in his hand. 

“Yes, I am,” Bobbi said and Clint inwardly sighed with relief. 

“Yes, I am,” he said as well and Eckley looked at the other people in the room. 

“Are there any objections?” He asked and Clint knew, if one of them would say yes now they had to start from the beginning, had to have a talk with the registrar about their intention, had to talk with said person why they object, had to fill in the applications again and then had to wait for a new appointment. But all of them shook their heads, even Fury and once again, Clint sighed inwardly. They could start now. 

“Are there any witnesses?” Eckley asked and Fury made a step up to Bobbi.

“I'm here to be Mrs. Morse's witness,” he said and then Tony stepped up to him, Clint.

“I'm here to be Mr. Barton's witness,” Tony said and Clint couldn't hold back the happy smile on his lips. 

“These two people confirmed that they are willing to break their bond,” he pointed at Clint and Bobbi, “these two people are here to be witness,” he pointed at Fury and Tony, “and there are no objections. So, let us begin.” Eckley said and went around his desk and led both of them into the middle of his office.

“Would you two please face each other and take your hands?” He said and Clint held out both his hands. Reluctantly Bobbi took them. “We're guiding you into the trance you know from your bonding ceremony. Dr. Willis will assist me,” Eckley explained. “When the witnesses could stand on the right side of their accompanied, the right hand on their locked hands and the left on their right shoulder.” He guided Tony and Fury into the position he wanted and then he nodded at Dr. Willis. 

“We're starting to breathe together,” she said. “Close your eyes and breathe. In. And out. And in. And out. And in. And out.” Clint followed her instructions, felt the tension flow out of him when he listened to her calm voice. It was like the mediation he had had together with Bruce yesterday but this time he felt the presence of other people with him. Bobbi, Tony, Fury, Dr. Willis, Eckley, he could feel all of them.

“Feel the bond,” she instructed calmly and Clint concentrated on it, felt the connection to Bobbi's soul. “And now, carefully cut the connection.” 

Clint still followed her instructions, let his consciousness feel along the _strings_ of their bond but when he wanted to cut them carefully he suddenly felt pain rip through him. He had a feeling as if something important was ripped away, not carefully but with force, not slowly but as fast as possible and he realized that he cried out in pain. He couldn't feel the connection anymore, Bobbi had cut it and she was too rash. It hurt, hurt so bad.

“Clint!” He heard a faint voice before he finally lost consciousness.


	12. Chapter 12

Tony followed Dr. Willis's instructions, he had his right hand on Clint's right and Bobbi's left hand and his left hand on his shoulder, similarly to Nick Fury. Clint relaxed when she guided the two into their trance where they could actively get into contact. 

“And now, carefully cut the connection,” she said and Tony watched Clint closely. Something was wrong. He seemed to be in distress, wrinkles on his forehead, he was pale, had sweat on his face and his breath had started to speed up again. He looked at Dr. Willis and she shrugged slightly but she seemed concerned as well. But just when he saw Dr. Willis open her mouth Clint started to shake. Tony tightened his grip to hold him but then he threw his head back and screamed. He sounded as if he were in a great deal of pain and he was pale like a ghost. 

“Clint!” Tony gasped and tried to hold him but he already lot his consciousness and slumped down. He only just prevented that he fell onto his face but then Clint lay on the floor, his body convulsing. 

“Clint! Come on, Clint!” He patted his cheek. A second later Dr. Willis knelt down beside him, checked his pulse. 

“What is wrong with him?” Eckley asked and wrang his hands. 

“Call an ambulance, quick!” Dr. Willis instructed and Eckley nodded and hurried to his desk. Fury hunkered down on the other side and when Tony looked up at him he nodded, once, sharp. A regular ambulance would be here faster than any transport SHIELD could send right now and they could relocate him to a SHIELD hospital any time later.

“How bad is it?” He asked and Dr. Willis shrugged helplessly. 

“Honestly? I have no idea. But I've told you it's risky. His soul was so damaged,” she said quietly and Tony could see Bobbi walk backwards and she was as white as a wall. 

“What did you do?” Tony snarled and jumped up. He pointed accusingly with his finger at her and she only shook her head.

“I... I... I just did... I just cut the connection,” she stammered and everyone could see that she was as shocked as everyone. No one had expected that Clint would break down. 

“Stark!” Fury snarled and pulled him back, glared at him with his one good eye but Tony couldn't keep quiet right now.

“It's her fault! If she'd let him go earlier...” He spat but Fury gestured for him to shut up. Rhodey came over and held him back.

“You can't know that. Go to your mate, he needs you now.” Fury placed a hand on his chest and shoved him backwards, wanted him to get to Clint. But Tony couldn't let it go yet.

“When someone happens to him, may God have mercy upon you! Both of you!” He snapped. 

“Leave it be, Tony,” Rhodey said. He tried to pull him away from Fury and Morse.

“Mr. Stark,” Willis called for him and Tony turned around. Clint writhed on the floor, his eyes still closed and unresponsive to anything she tried. He went over to him, sat down on the floor beside him and took his head into his lap, leaned down and whispered into his ear.

“It's over Clint, you're free now. Come on, Clint, don't do that to me. I love you, I can't live without you.” He petted his hair and the younger man seemed to calm down a bit but the cramps didn't subside completely. Tony glared at Fury and Morse once more. But then Fury took her arm and guided her out of the room.

“Can you stay with him? I need to ask her a few questions,” Dr. Willis whispered and Tony nodded. He saw Eckley sit on his desk, completely rattled. He wiped his face with his handkerchief a few times and stared from the door to Clint and Tony and back to the door. 

“Mr. Eckley, maybe you can wait for the EMT's outside to show them the way?” Rhodey, who had seen it as well, suggested and the man nodded thankfully to have something to do, but then Tony concentrated his attention back to Clint who had a seizure again. 

“It's okay, Clint. Come on, it's over,” he murmured into his ear and didn't stop petting his hair. But the younger man didn't open his eyes. When Dr. Willis came back she sighed and hunkered down beside them.

“She cut the connection too fast,” she whispered and when Tony wanted to jump up but both, Rhodey and Dr. Willis held him down. “She thought it would be like a band-aid, the faster you rip it off, the less it hurts.” 

“You've told her to cut it carefully,” Tony pressed through his teeth but just as Dr. Willis wanted to answer the EMT's arrived. She rose and made space for them and two women knelt down beside Clint. 

“What happened?” One of them asked and Dr. Willis started to explain. Tony was not an expert and so he understood maybe a third of their conversation. He just concentrated on Clint and the next seizure that shook his body. The other one leaned over him immediately and held him together with Tony. The one who had talked to Dr. Willis opened her bag and took a syringe, filled it with some clear liquid and stabbed the needle in Clint's arm.

“What's that?” he asked and the EMT looked up at him.

“That's something to get his cramps under control till we have him in the hospital,” she said and the other EMT already went to get the stretcher. With practiced hands they had him on it in an instant and Tony followed them when they wheeled him out to the waiting ambulance. 

When they closed the door behind him and drove away as fast as possible Tony took a deep breath. 

“I'll drive,” Rhodey said and held his hand out. Tony took the keys out of his pants and handed them to him. He usually hated it to let someone else drive – it never went too well – but now he didn't have the nerves to concentrate on the traffic. “You want to come?” Rhodey asked Dr. Willis and she nodded.

“All right, let's go then,” Rhodey said, walked to Tony's Mercedes Benz, opened it. He held one door open for Dr. Willis before he climbed onto the driver's seat. Tony sat in the backseat and nibbled on his thumbnail while Rhodey followed the ambulance. 

 

 

Something beeped and that was really annoying. He lay on a soft surface, that much he figured out really fast. But it was not his bed. His bed felt different. The damn beeping didn't stop and so he opened his eyes. Thankfully it wasn't too bright wherever he was. 

He looked around and only a few seconds later he groaned inwardly. Hospital. Aww, no. He turned his head and saw a figure half sitting on a chair, half laying on him. Tony.

“Hey,” he whispered, and put his hand on his head, petted his hair. Tony scrambled up and stared at Clint disbelievingly.

“Oh my god!” he blurted out, tackled Clint and kissed him so violently that he felt his lip burst. “Oh my god, oh my god,” Tony repeated a few times and kissed him again. “You've scared the fucking shit out of me.” 

Clint frowned and looked around again. “What happened?” he gestured at the hospital room and the heart monitor behind him. Tony took his hand and stroked it with his thumb.

“You've collapsed. After you and _Agent Morse_ ,” he said the name as if it were something disgusting, “cut your bond you broke down. You've been unresponsive for the last few days, Clint, but you've had seizures.” 

“Days?” Clint's eyes went wide and he tried to sit up. Tony rose and helped him and Clint glared at him. He felt old right now.

“Yeah. Five, to be exaxtly. Apparently that bi... Morse cut the strings too fast and your soul couldn't handle the sudden loss and you went into a shock. The doctor's had to sedate you to keep the cramps under control and the pain on a minimum level,” Tony explained. 

Clint listened into himself, searched for the faint whiff of another presence in his consciousness but he couldn't find it. 

“It's gone!” His head snapped up and he caught Tony's eyes with his, couldn't hold back a broad smile. “She's gone, Tony.” 

“So it worked,” Tony smiled now as well and leaned over once more to kiss him again. Like always Clint was overwhelmed from all the feelings the contact with Tony brought but since the other presence was gone it was far more beautiful than before. It was – lacking a better word – pure. Unsoiled. 

“Anthony Stark, would you do me the honor of weaving the bond with me?” Clint blurted out and then tried to get up. “I... I have to get up... to ask you properly...” 

Tony grabbed him immediately and pressed him back into the cushions. “You stay where you are!” 

“But Tony...” Clint once again tried to get up. “My... my question...” 

“Clinton Barton, it would be an honor to weave the bond with you,” he said earnestly but when Clint's face split into the biggest smile ever Tony couldn't hold back a broad smile as well.

“Let's do it right now!” Clint suggested.

“You're nuts, you know that?” Tony chuckled.

“Sorry to break it to you, but you need at least another week to recover,” they heard a voice from the door. It was open and Dr. Willis leaned in the doorjamb and smiled. “I'm glad, that you're awake, though. How do you feel?” 

“Surprisingly really good. I can't feel her anymore,” he said and Dr. Willis came in and looked at his chart.

“That's good to hear. I guess Mr. Stark already told you. After the breaking ceremony you've had seizures for a few days. They are subsided completely since yesterday but it took some time for you to get the anesthetic agent out of your system,” she explained.

“And why do we have to wait another week? I mean, I feel good, better than before,” Clint said and furrowed his brows. 

“The breaking of your bond is like leaving an open wound to the soul. It has to _heal_ first.” 

“Well, we've waited so long, I guess we'll survive another week,” Tony said but he didn't sound convinced. 

“One week? I'm not sure if I can survive that long,” Clint said but when Tony raised his brow he winked and smirked. 

“Dork.”

But then Clint turned back to Dr. Willis. “I know that you know how to break a bond, Dr. Willis, but can you lead a bonding ceremony?” He asked.

“Yes. Yes, I know how to do that. You would need a registrar to confirm the bond but _I_ can lead the ceremony,” she nodded and Clint looked at Tony. When the older man smiled and nodded he looked back at Dr. Willis. 

“It would be my honor,” she said. 

“One week. I'll ask Eckley if he has the time to confirm the bond,” Tony smirked and Clint took his hand. Dr. Willis got the hint and left with a smirk. 

“One week, Tony.” Clint looked up and Tony sat down on the bed beside him. But when he slid to the side and patted the space beside himself the genius laid down beside him. He turned to Clint and placed his hand on his cheek. And then he leaned in to kiss him. Not hasty or quick or in pure panic, no this time he took his time, touched Clint's lips with his, with his tongue and demanded entrance and he let him in, enjoyed the new sensations. Everything felt familiar and yet different, it felt... more. More intense, more fervent, more passionate. Simply more. And he wondered how much more it would be when they were finally bonded. One week. Yes, he could wait one week. And then Tony would be his. Forever. 

“I love you, Tony,” he whispered when they parted.

“I love you, too,” Tony smiled.


	13. Chapter 13

Soul bonds were sacrosanct. Everybody knew that. When two souls, two halves of the same soul, met and touched each other they knew that they were meant to be together. Every decision people made in their lives, every move, was meant to lead them to their soul mate. That was fact. 

And that was, why people didn't accept that someone messed around with a soul bond. That was, why all hell broke loose when it became apparent that Clint wanted to break his bond, that was why people went out onto the streets when Clint – a man considered a hero, a role model – wanted to do something so shameful. Then, when people had learned why Clint had to break his bond, why it was essential to do it, they understood (to a certain degree), they could accept it. After all, the bond he had woven wasn't with his true soul mate, it was with someone who tricked him and he only broke it so that he could be with the one person that was meant for him. People understood. 

Tony had promised Clint revenge and he kept his promise. Two days before they had their bonding ceremony Pepper had accepted reporter Ryan Matthis's offer for an interview with both, Clint and Tony. They both actually wanted it and they talked to the reporter about the discovery that they were soul mates, how they found out that Clint got tricked into a bond and that it all was in fact Fury's idea and order to keep Clint in line. 

The article was published the next day – not only in the New York Times – and this time the shitstorm hit Fury. The first time he wanted to leave the Triskelion after the release he got greeted by a whole bunch of protesters who threw with old salad and eggs as soon as he showed his face. They didn't hit him, he was too good but it wasn't nice nevertheless. He got followed by guys from the EPC and wherever he was they stood there, held their shields with their slogans up, he got yelled at from all kinds of people and one particular beautiful moment was when an old woman hit him with her cane and then slapped him in the face as he tried to leave his car. Tony obtained the footage – a surveillance camera recorded it – and sent it to the whole team and every SHIELD agent in the world. Miraculously the clip appeared on YouTube (no, it weren't Tony or Clint the first time) and it had almost two million clicks after only one day. And whatever SHIELD – and Fury – tried, thanks to Tony the clip appeared again and again as soon as they removed it. 

Clint and Tony talked a long time about it and they decided that this public humiliation – and it was a public humiliation since the clip became so popular – was exactly the _punishment_ he deserved. People recognized him and they laughed when they saw him. Tony said he would stop for now but he would never let him forget about it. 

Fury – of course – pretended that he wasn't affected by the people's reactions. He glared at them when they laughed, he ignored them as much as possible. But they saw that it affected him even if he would never admit it. 

 

 

“Thanks, Dr. Willis,” Clint said, grinned and jumped whooping with joy. Tony's head snapped up.

“We can start?” He asked. Clint didn't move a muscle in his face, just looked at him and came over. Tony cocked his head and furrowed his brows. “Clint?” He asked but then Clint couldn't hold back, he grinned again and tackled him on the couch, kissed him so hard that he tasted blood. 

“Yes! She just said that I'm stable enough to get going,” he said when they parted and he saw a tiny drop of blood on Tony's lips. Tony licked it away before he yelped with excitement and hugged Clint so stormy that both landed an the ground, Tony on top of Clint. 

He looked up at the older man, saw the love and the relief in his eyes and couldn't resist, he had to lean up and this time he kissed him very soft, very gentle, traced his lips with his tongue till Tony opened his mouth and then he touched his tongue with his, gently, he reached up and put his hands on Tony's waist, let them roam over his back while he traced the contours of his lips with the tip of his tongue. 

“Soon,” Tony murmured when they broke the kiss. “Soon, Clint. Not now, not like this.” 

Clint nodded. “I know. I just... Tony, I love you, you know that, right?” He looked at Tony very closely, his warm, brown eyes, the wrinkles around his eyes, the few gray hairs over his ears, the beautiful smile on his lips and Clint felt happy, really, really happy. 

“I know,” the older man murmured and kissed Clint's nose. He couldn't help laughing and Tony joined him. Right now the world was simply perfect. He was free of his bond, he had his soul mate in his arms and tomorrow he would weave the bond with him. Could it be better?

“I love you, too. More than I ever thought possible,” Tony confessed and Clint closed his eyes for a second. And then he kissed him again. 

 

 

The whole team and their friends were waiting in front of the doors to Donald Eckley's office. They waited for Clint and Tony, who were in another room together with Dr. Willis. It wasn't usual to have their own doctor with them but in Clint's case she wanted to be here, just to be sure that everything went according to plan. 

In the small file storage she checked on him again before she instructed them what to do in case something goes wrong.

“What do you mean with 'something goes wrong'?” Tony asked, his eyes wide.

“In the worst case your soul is still not recovered enough to weave a bond. In that case you need to abort immediately, okay?” She looked at the two of them. 

“How do we know that?” Clint asked and took Tony's hand.

“You will know,” she said but when he frowned she smiled reassuringly. “Don't worry, I'm pretty sure that your soul is recovered enough. And it's really, really rare that something happens, okay. It's just, I want you to know _that_ something can happen. So, if – and believe me, that's really a very big if – something happens, you will know. I have no idea how it feels, I've met only two people in my career so far who couldn't weave a bond and both said, they knew that it wouldn't work and they stopped immediately. I also know it's very vague but... you know. I just wanted you to know.” 

“O-kay,” Clint seemed worried now but Tony interrupted his train of thought with touching his face. 

“Nothing will happen, Clint. We will go in now and we when we come out of that door we have formed our bond.

“Yes,” Clint nodded and Dr. Willis patted both their shoulders. 

“So, do you have any questions?” She asked.

“When can we start?” Tony asked and all three grinned then. 

“Okay, let's start,” she said and opened the door. Outside all of their friends turned and looked at them. 

“Is everything alright?” Steve asked and Tony nodded. 

“Yeah. Let's get this done, okay?” He said and Clint couldn't agree more. 

“No objections,” he added. 

Natasha came over to him, looked him over and smiled fondly. “You look good,” she whispered. Clint looked down at himself, at the white plain linen pants, the white button down shirt with the silver stripes and smiled. Tony wore the same clothes as him. They both wanted to do it the traditional way. 

“Thanks,” he murmured and hugged her. She was his witness and so she took his arm and waited for Tony and Rhodey – he was Tony's witness – to enter Eckley's office together. 

They didn't have to wait for too long. Donald Eckley opened his doors, dressed in the traditional white robe and this time he wasn't as pale as the last time they had seen him. 

Neither Tony nor Clint actually listened to the traditional formulas Eckley recited, they had only eyes for each other. They barely managed to say yes the few times it was required. Both men stood in the middle of the room, facing each other, holding their hands crosswise, their witnesses beside them, one hand on theirs and one hand on their shoulders. Only mere moments and then...

“We are ready to testify the weaving of a bond between Mr. Clinton Barton and Mr. Anthony Stark. Are you still willing to continue?” Eckley asked.

“Yes, I am,” Clint said and smiled.

“Yes, I am,” Tony repeated and Clint saw him swallow. He was as nervous as himself.

“There are no objections and we have two witnesses, so let us begin,” Eckley said and stepped up to them. 

“Everything started with a breath and so the bond between these two men will start with a breath. Breathe with me. In. And out. And in. And out.” Eckley's warm voice led them to the point where their souls started to open up to each other. Once again it felt as if time had stopped. He could only feel. He felt another presence reaching for him and it was as if millions of butterflies surrounded him, fluttered, tickled him, his skin, his mind, he could smell lilac again but far more intense than the first time. The other presence was so close, so warm, so beautiful. And then he smelled orchids and the warm feeling of the sun on his skin. The other presence – Tony – was close, touched him, surrounded him and he did the same, let his own presence intermingle with Tony's, embraced him and then he could see himself through Tony's eyes and he knew that Tony felt the same right now. He could feel his own hands on his skin the same moment he felt touching Tony. It was the strangest and yet most wonderful feeling he ever had. He heard Tony's voice in his head, he felt Tony's heart beat, he felt... he felt something metallic in his chest, he felt Tony's blood run through his veins, he thought Tony's thoughts and he knew, he knew that Tony felt the same things. It was the most intense feeling and then – as if by command – both men opened their eyes and took a deep breath together. 

Clint opened his eyes. He hadn't realized that he had closed them. Everything he had _seen_ had been with his soul. Eckley had tied the traditional cord around their hands and now Clint could feel it. 

“The bond is woven,” he said, smiled and stepped back. Clint closed his eyes for a second but he still could feel Tony. He remembered the tiny presence in the back of his consciousness as long as he had been bonded to Bobbi. There he could feel Tony but it was so much more... so much _**more**_ for lack of a better word. And suddenly he knew what all those authors meant when they wrote about the permanent connection, now he could feel it himself. He couldn't hold back a smile and then he made a step in Tony's direction the same moment as Tony closed the distance to him. They touched, their chests touched and once again Clint felt all the emotions sweep through him. He raised his hand, touched Tony's cheek and the other man mirrored his motion unconsciously but when they realized it they both huffed a tiny laugh. But after another look both closed the last few inches and Clint's lips touched Tony's. 

He had thought a kiss, a touch, each contact with Tony was intense before but now... now it was so much _**more**_. This kiss was simply beautiful. The soul bond, woven between them, intensified everything and Clint couldn't hold back the moan when he felt not only Tony's body but also Tony's soul, Tony's consciousness touching him. 

“Oh my god,” Tony breathed when they parted. They both had no idea how long they kissed but when they heard their friends laugh slightly they realized that they were connected for a very long moment.

“That was... that was...” Clint had no words. He was sure that he never felt something like this before. So many emotions, feelings, all at once, he was astounded that he didn't explode and he had to grin. Tony _knew_ what he felt right now, leaned in and kissed him again. 

“Wow,” Tony smiled this time and Rhodey patted his shoulder. 

“Congratulations,” he said and Natasha smiled as well, looked at both of them and congratulated them, too. Their other friends followed suit, everyone said a few words and Donald Eckley was the last one.

“I hope you two have a long and full life and that you will be happy together.” He scrutinized Clint for a long moment and then he nodded with a smile. 

“Thanks,” Clint nodded and the older man left his office to get changed. The others followed him and only Tony and Clint stayed back. 

“Did I mention that I love you?” Tony whispered when he kissed Clint's neck.

“You know that I know that now, right?” Clint chuckled and Tony kissed him again.

“I know. That's why I know that you love me, too,” he said.

“I can't believe that we did it, Tony,” he wrapped his arms around Tony's waist and held him as close as possible. Both men felt the connection between them vibrant with energy. 

“Didn't I tell you that we'll find a solution? And we did it.” Tony took Clint's hand and they followed their friends out of the building. Pepper had organized a reception and they went to the stretch limousine, waiting for them. 

But apparently someone had leaked that Clint and Tony would weave their bond today because when they left the building they got greeted by the press. 

Steve and Thor had tried to shove them away but they were persistent but then Pepper and Natasha had _convinced_ them to leave them alone. They could take some photos but Natasha had said if someone would try to interview them she would hurt them. 

Clint, who was so happy right now, couldn't resist. When he saw the reporters waiting with their cameras he turned to Tony and kissed him before they climbed into the car. 

“Do we have to go to the reception?” Tony asked and Clint slapped his arm. 

“I'm afraid. Pepper will kill us if we skip it,” he chuckled. 

“But there are so many things I'd prefer to do to you right now,” he smirked and Clint leaned over again.

“I know,” he whispered and kissed him. “But you know what? We have the rest of our lives to do whatever we want now. And there are many things I want to do to you as well.” 

“You're right. But tonight... tonight we're going to have the best sex ever.” 

“I've never expected anything less.” Clint chuckled.

Tony turned to him to face him. “I'm glad that I found you, Clint. I know that all this wasn't easy but it was worth it. You know?” 

“I know. I love you, Tony.”

“And I love you. And now, let's go to our reception.” 

 

 

 

 

 

**Eleven months later:**

 

“Clint?” A voice he hadn't heard in a while said behind him. He turned around and saw _her_.

“No one told me that you would be here,” Bobbi said and looked at the clipboard.

“Yeah. That wasn't planned. Where's Director Coulson?” He asked. “I need to talk to him.” 

“He's in his office. I can...” she started but Clint interrupted her.

“No need to. Just tell me where he is,” he said. She nodded and gave him the directions. But when he turned and wanted to go to Coulson's office she grabbed his shoulder. Clint stopped but didn't turn around.

“Clint, wait,” she said and came around. He looked away for a second but stayed, placed his rucksack beside his leg.

“I... I wanted to say that I'm sorry. For everything.” 

“What do you expect now?” Clint asked and folded his arms in front of his chest.

“Nothing. I... I just wanted you to know.” She nodded slowly. When Clint raised his brows she sighed. “You look good,” she said. Clint's brows hit his hairline. “The... the bond with Tony is good for you.” 

“Ya think?” Clint blurted out.

“I'm sorry, that wasn't what I wanted to say. I just... I'm glad that you're happy.” Clint pinched the bridge of his nose and then he nodded. 

“Thanks.” He walked around her and made a few steps but then he sighed again and turned. 

“You look good, too,” he said.

“Yeah? Thanks. I... I met someone. He lost his bond mate five years ago and we...” she looked at the ground for a second. “It was nice to meet you again.” She turned to walk away.

Clint nodded, sighed, bit his lip. “Are you happy?” He asked then and Bobbi turned back.

“Yes. Yes, I am... we are.” 

“That's good,” he said, grabbed his rucksack, smiled and moved on. He had to talk to Director Coulson. It was important. He had news about the Winter Soldier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, finished ;)  
> Thanks for reading, thanks for commenting, thanks for the kudos! I hope you had as much fun reading as I had writing it :D

**Author's Note:**

> [asamandra on tumblr](http://asamandra.tumblr.com/)


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